* 


SAMUEL  Too  MBS, 
Co.  F,  i ^th  Rejrt.  N.  J.   Vols.,  Inf. 
(.From  a   ll'ar-titiie  Photograph — 1863.) 


NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


IN    THE 


GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN 


FROM  JUNE  5  TO  JULY  31,  1863. 


—  BY 


SAMUEL  COOMBS, 

AUTHOR   OF    "REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   WAR,"    AND    HISTORIAN    OF   THE 
VETERAN  ASSOCIATION,  THIRTEENTH  NEW  JERSEY  VOLUNTEERS. 


ILLUSTRATED 

By  Specially  Drawn  Maps  of  the  Battle-Field,  the  Monuments  Erected 

by  the  State  of  Arew  Jersey,  and  Portraits  of  Brigade 

and  Regimental  Commanders. 


ORANGE,   N.  J.: 
THE  EVENING   MAIL  PUBLISHING  HOUSE. 

1888. 


•SI 


Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  iSfy,  by 

SAMUEL  TOOMBS, 
In  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


PRINTED   AND  BOUND  AT 

THE  ADVERTISER  PRINTING   HOUSE, 

NEWARK,  N.  J. 


TO    THE    MEMORY    OF 
THE    GALLANT    JERSEYMEN    WHO    SACRIFICED    THEIR    LIVES 

AT    THE    BATTLE    OF    GETTYSBURG 

FOR    THE    MAINTENANCE    OF   THE    UNION    THIS    BOOK 
IS    REVERENTLY    DEDICATED. 


M196418 


INTRODUCTORY. 

A  GREAT  deal  has  already  been  written  about  Gettys 
burg.  The  controversies  which  have  arisen  are 
confusing  to  those  who  wish  to  ascertain  the  exact 
truth,  while  they  afford  little  that  is  interesting  to  the 
general  public.  Personal  reminiscences  of  the  events 
which  there  occurred  have  appeared  in  print  in  great 
number,  and  if  it  be  true  that  "few  events  worth  recording 
befell  any  man  below  the  rank  of  major,"  the  reader  of 
this  book  will  find  relief  in  the  fact  that  the  writer  has 
no  wonderful  or  remarkable  personal  adventures  to 
chronicle. 

In  its  main  features  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  is  treated 
very  much  the  same  by  all  the  noted  participants  in  that 
struggle  who  have  written  about  it,  varying  only  in 
details  which  are  colored  by  the  writer's  own  views  as  to 
their  importance.  In  preparing  for  the  work  of  recording 
the  services  of  New  Jersey  troops,  not  only  on  the  battle 
field  but  throughout  the  whole  campaign,  beginning  with 
the  reconnoissance  across  the  Rappahannock  river  on 
June  5,  1863,  the  best  works  on  Gettysburg  have  been 
consulted  and  the  official  records  of  the  battle  have  been 
examined  and  studied  carefully,  with  the  view  of  ascer 
taining  just  what  services  the  soldiers  of  New  Jersey  did 
perform;  and  in  thus  bringing  to  the  surface  the  exper- 


Vi  INTRODUCTORY. 


iences  of  the  bivouac,  the  march,  and  the  battle  itself,  as 
they  were  participated  in  by  the  men  who  represented  the 
State  of  New  Jersey  in  the  Union  Army,  many  interesting 
and  valuable  matters  have  been  brought  to  light  which 
otherwise  might  have  perished. 

While,  therefore,  the  author  has  placed  a  certain  limit 
upon  the  scope  of  this  work,  by  which  the  valuable 
services  rendered,  the  heroic  achievements  performed,  and 
the  personal  sacrifices  made  by  the  patriotic  sons  of  his 
native  State  on  Gettysburg  Heights  are  to  be  brought 
more  particularly  into  prominence,  the  narrative  will 
embrace  the  movements  of  the  whole  Army  of  the  Poto 
mac  and  record  its  priceless  services  to  the  Nation  on  the 
ground  hallowed  by  the  blood  of  thousands  who  met 
death  as  brave  men  wish  to  die. 

The  instances  of  personal  bravery  were  more  numerous 
at  Gettysburg  than  in  any  other  battle  of  the  war.  Both 
sides  contributed  their  heroes,  and  the  tragic  manner  in 
which  the  brave  Southern  General,  Armistead,  met  his 
death,  and  the  heroic  Lieutenant  Gushing  fell  at  the  post 
of  duty,  have  already  become  immortalized  as  the  two 
prominent  instances  of  self-immolation  during  the  strug^- 
gle.  There  is  a  pathetic  side  to  the  death  of  Armistead, 
and  there  are  those  who  believe  he  really  courted  it. 
When  the  news  of  the  fall  of  Sumter  reached  the  Pacific 
slope,  the  late  Confederate  General  Albert  Sidney  John 
ston  was  in  command  of  that  department.  Generals 
Hancock,  Armistead,  Garnett  and  Pickett,  were  subordi 
nate  officers  in  the  Regular  Army,  then  stationed 
there,  and  many  were  the  conferences  held  as  to  what 
should  be  their  course  in  the  pending  JjJrmiWes-.  The 


INTRODUCTORY.  vii 


Government  very  unceremoniously  relieved  General  John 
ston,  and  soon  after  this  event  a  farewell  meeting  was  held 
in  the  house  of  Captain  Hancock.  What  resulted  is  thus 
related  by  Mrs.  Hancock,  in  the  volume  of  interesting 
"  Reminiscences  "  of  her  husband  :  "  The  most  crushed 
of  the  party  was  Major  Armistead,  who,  with  tears,  which 
were  contagious,  streaming  down  his  face,  and  hands 
upon  Mr.  Hancock's  shoulders,  while  looking  him  steadily 
in  the  eye,  said:  'Hancock,  good-by ;  you  can  never 
know  what  this  has  cost  me,  and  I  hope  God  will  strike 
me  dead  if  I  am  ever  induced  to  leave  my  native  soil, 
should  worse  come  to  worst.'  "  The  dying  words  of  Armi 
stead,  on  Gettysburg  battle-field:  "Tell  Hancock  I  have 
wronged  him  and  have  wronged  my  country,"  illustrate 
how  great  must  have  been  the  mental  strain  under  which 
he  labored  during  the  continuance  of  the  war,  and  what 
a  sacrifice  he  made  when  he  resigned  his  commission  in 
the  Regular  Army,  to  take  up  arms  in  the  defence  of  the 
dogma  of  State  rights,  which  recognized  allegiance  to  the 
National  Government  only  as  secondary  to  that  of  the 
State.  Scores  of  other  southern  officers  did  the  same, 
and  that  they  acted  from  conscientious  and  honest 
motives  cannot  well  be  denied;  but  as  in  the  case  of 
Armistead,  many  of  them  felt  that  the  South  had 
adopted  the  wrong  method  for  a  redress  of  their 
supposed  grievances,  and  that  the  war  was  forced  upon 
them  from  other  than  patriotic  motives.  In  the  manner  of 
his  death  Armistead's  wish  was  gratified.  How  different 
was  the  last  act  of  young  Gushing,  who  commanded  Bat 
tery  "A"  Fourth  United  States  Artillery,  whose  life  blood 
ebbed  away  at  almost  the  same  moment  that  Armistead 


viii  INTRODUCTORY. 


received  his  death  wound.  Mortally  wounded  though 
he  was,  he  summoned  up  all  his  strength  and  running 
his  gun  down  into  the  very  faces  of  the  exultant  foe,  he 
turned  to  his  commander  and  said:  "  Webb,  I  will  give 
them  one  more  shot,"  and  when  the  last  discharge  was 
made,  called  out,  "good-by"and  fell  dead  by  the  side 
of  his  gun.  With  the  spirit  that  pervaded  these  men, 
both  armies  fought  at  Gettysburg,  and  it  is  easily 
understood  why  the  several  encounters  which  took 
place  on  all  parts  of  that  field  were  so  stubbornly  and 
so  vigorously  contested. 

The  State  of  New  Jersey  has  commemorated  the 
services  of  her  troops  in  enduring  granite.  To  supple 
ment  this  work  by  a  faithful  and  accurate  account  of  the 
exhaustive  nature  of  these  services  has  been  the  desire  of 
the  writer,  who  has  received  the  cordial  cooperation  of 
many  of  the  survivors,  and  is  largely  indebted  also  to 
Adjutant-General  W.  S.  Stryker,  his  faithful  assistant, 
Colonel  James  S.  Kiger,  Honorable  William  H.  Corbin, 
Secretary  of  the  New  Jersey  Battle-Field  Commission, 
General  Ezra  A.  Carman,  General  W.  H.  Penrose,  Colonel 
William  E.  Potter,  Major  W.  W.  Morris,  Captain  William 
F.  Hillyer,  Thomas  S.  Marbaker,  Historian  Eleventh 
New  Jersey  Regiment,  Captain  H.  F.  Chew,  George  J. 
Hagar,  Esq.,  and  many  others,  members  of  the  several 
regimental  organizations,  for  valuable  information  and 
aid  furnished.  The  government  maps  of  Colonel  J.  B. 
Bachelder  have  also  been  consulted  and  to  them  the 
writer  is  largely  indebted,  as  well  as  to  Colonel  Bachelder 
himself  for  very  important  information  received.  The 
maps  on  pages  155,  157  and  162  are  from  General  Double- 


IN  TROD  UC  TOR  Y.  ix 


day's  book  on  "Chancellorsville  and  Gettysburg,"  Charles 
Scribner's  Sons,  publishers,  who  have  kindly  given  permis 
sion  for  their  use.  Those  on  pages  250,  251  and  301  are 
inserted  only  for  general  reference  and  do  not  conform 
literally  to  the  text.  The  portraits,  monuments  and  small 
maps  were  all  made  especially  for  this  book  from  original 
photographs  and  drawings.  S.  T. 

ORANGE,  N.  J.,  July  i,  1888. 

NOTE. — The  wrong  totals  appear  at  foot  of  table  on  page  n.  They 
should  be:  Officers,  512;  men,  12,311;  total,  12,823.  These  figures 
increase  the  percentage  of  waste  as  shown  on  page  12,  line  seven, 
from  sixty  to  sixty-five  per  cent. 

On  page  64,  first  word,  last  line,  should  be  southwest. 

On  page  139,  eighth  line,  Harrisburg  should  be  Gettysburg. 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  I. — New  Jersey  Regiments  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
from  1861  to  June  30,  1863,  their  assignments  to  duty  and 
the  commands  with  which  they  served  —  Tables  showing 
losses  for  two  years I 

CHAPTER  II. — Resume  of  historical  facts — Public  feeling  in  the 
South — Temper  of  the  Rebel  Army — Position  of  both  armies 
in  June,  1863 — The  fight  at  Franklin's  Crossing  on  the  Rap- 
pahannock — Gallant  charge  by  the  Twenty-sixth  New  Jersey  16 

CHAPTER  III. — Lee's  plan  of  campaign — Disposition  of  his  forces 
— General  Hcoker  mystified  but  not  deceived — The  cavalry 
fight  at  Brandy  Station — The  First  New  Jersey  Cavalry's 
brilliant  charge 1. 34 

CHAPTER  IV. — Ewell's  dashing  advance  through  the  valley — Mil- 
roy  surprised  at  Winchester — The  Fourteenth  New  Jersey 
on  Maryland  Heights— History  of  the  corps  badge — The 
New  Jersey  troops  and  their  commanders — An  exhaustive 
march 64 

CHAPTER  V. — Ewell  at  Williamsport  —  Jenkins'  raid  in  Pennsyl 
vania —  Consternation  throughout  the  North — New  Jersey 
Volunteers  go  to  the  defence  of  Harrisburg  —  Hooker 
advances  to  a  new  line  of  observation — Incidents  of  the 
march — Execution  of  deserters — An  incident  of  President 
Lincoln's  mercy  and  why  it  failed .  79 

CHAPTER  VI.— From  the  Rappahannock  to  Gum  Springs — Experi 
ences  of  the  Seventh  New  Jersey  Regiment  and  the  Second 
Brigade — Useless  night  work — An  all-night  march.*... m  99 


Xll  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VII.— Hooker's  perplexities  aggravated— A  dashing  cav 
alry  exploit  —  Lee's  army  in  Pennsylvania  —  The  Union 
forces  cross  the  Potomac— Stuart's  raid— General  Hooker 
resigns _  Io8 

CHAPTER  VIII.— The  alarm  in  the  North— New  Jersey's  Governor 
appeals  to  the  President— The  new  Union  commander- 
Movements  of  the  armies — Reminiscenses  of  an  officer  of 
the  Second  New  Jersey  Brigade  —  The  Thirteenth  New 
Jersey  at  Littlestown— The  night  before  the  battle 122 

CHAPTER  IX.— The  first  day's  fight  at  Gettysburg— Gallantry  of 
Buford's  troopers  —  Heroic  resistance  by  the  First  Army 
Corps— Death  of  General  Reynolds— Arrival  of  Howard  and 
the  retreat  to  Cemetery  Ridge — Hancock's  opportune  arrival 
on  the  field I4O 

CHAPTER  X. — The  New  Jersey  troops  coming  on  the  field  of  battle 
—Rapid  and  exhaustive  marching— The  Eleventh  Regiment 
undergo  a  fatiguing  night  march — The  Second  New  Jersey 
Brigade  march  between  the  skirmish  lines  of  both  armies — 
The  Twelfth  Regiment  in  line  of  battle — The  deployment  of 
Sickles'  line— The  Thirteenth  Regiment  on  Gulp's  Hill- 
Arrival  of  the  First  New  Jersey  Brigade  at  four  o'clock— A 
forced  march  of  thirty-five  miles 1 74 

CHAPTER  XL— The  second  day's  battle— Sickles'  new  line— Long- 
street's  attempt  to  turn  the  Federal  left— The  Second  New 
Jersey  Brigade,  the  Eleventh  Regiment,  and  Battery  "  B," 
First  New  Jersey  Artillery,  in  action— Hood  repulsed  at 
Little  Round  Top — A  gallant  and  successful  charge  by  the 
Twelfth  New  Jersey  Regiment— Casualties  among  the  New 
Jersey  troops IQ3 

CHAPTER  XII.— The  second  day's  battle  concluded— The  Twelfth 

Corps'  position  attacked  by  Ewell's  troops — Green's  heroic 

defence — The  attack  on  Cemetery  Hill — A  fierce  and  deadly 

hand-to-hand  struggle — Return  of  the  Twelfth  Corps  to  the 

•right  during  the  night _ 259 


CONTENTS.  xiii 


CHAPTER  XIII.— The  Third  day's  battle  —  The  Twelfth  Corps 
charge  the  enemy  at  Gulp's  Hill  and  regain  their  works — 
The  Second  Massachusetts  and  the  Twenty-seventh  Indiana 
Regiments  charge  the  enemy  supported  by  the  Thirteenth 
New  Jersey  Regiment— Lee  foiled  in  his  attack  on  the  Fed 
eral  right . 268 

CHAPTER  XIV. — The  third  day's  battle  concluded — Longstreet's 
charge  on  Cemetery  Ridge — Disastrous  repulse  of  Pickett's 
and  Heth's  divisions — Dreadful  execution  with  "buck  and 
ball"  by  the  Twelfth  New  Jersey — Hexamer's  old  battery 
("A"  First  New  Jersey)  engaged — The  First  New  Jersey 
Cavalry  win  new  laurels . ... 277 

CHAPTER  XV. — After  the  battle— Scenes  on  the  field — The  care  of 
the  wounded — Effect  of  General  Meade's  order  sending  all 
wagons  to  the  rear — Prompt  and  effective  service  at  the 
Twelfth  Corps  Hospital — Retreat  of  Lee's  army  and  the 
pursuit 317 

CHAPTER  XVI. — Organization  of  the  Gettysburg  Battle-Field  Com 
mission — A  record  of  its  work — Description  of  the  monu 
ments .  333 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES  OF  PORTRAITS 359 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

AUTHOR Frontispiece. 

PAGE. 

Map — Location  of  New  Jersey  Monuments xvii 

Major-General  Joseph  Hooker 13 

Advance  of  Twenty-sixth  New  Jersey  Volunteers 23 

Captain  Samuel  U.  Dodd - 29 

Major  William  W.  Morris - - 35 

Colonel  Percy  Wyndham  . 43 

Major-General  H.  Judson  Kilpatrick 53 

Colonel  Hugh  H.  Janeway.. 59 

Lieutenant  Rochus  Heinisch _ 67 

Major-General  George  G.  Meade 75 

Major-General  A.  T.  A.  Torbert 83 

Colonel  James  N.  Duffy 89 

Lieutenant-Colonel  William   Henry,  Jr. 95 

Colonel  Samuel  L.  Buck _ _ 101 

Colonel  Henry  N.  Brown 109 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Charles  Ewing _ —  115 

Brevet  Major-General  William  J.  Sewell 123 

Colonel  George  C.  Burling. . . 131 

Colonel  Louis  R.  Francine 141 

Map — Position  of  Troops  July  i 145 

Brevet  Major-General  John  Ramsey ,.- 147 

Map — Advance  of  Davis'  and  Archer's  Brigades 155 

Map — Defeat  of  Davis  and  Archer.. 157 

Brevet  Major-General  Robert  McAllister 159 

Map — Advance  of  Heth's  Division  against  Doubleday 162 

Brevet  Colonel  John  Schoonover 165 

Major  John  T.  Hill 175 

Map — First  Position  Thirteenth  Regiment  New  Jersey  Volunteers  182 


x V i  ILL  US  TKA  TIONS. 


PAGE. 

Brevet  Brigadier-General  Ezra  A.  Carman 185 

Brevet  Brigadier-General  Frederick  H.  Harris -. 191 

Brevet  Major  A.  Judson  Clark __ -  203 

Map— Position  of  Fifth,  Sixth,  Seventh,  Eighth,  Eleventh  New 

Jersey  Regiments — July  2 ...  -  ---  207 

Captain  Ambrose  M.  Matthews -  211 

Brigadier-General  William  H.  Penrose --  -  217 

Monument  First  New  Jersey  Brigade -  229 

Monument  Fifth  Regiment  New  Jersey  Volunteers -  233 

Monument  Sixth  Regiment  New  Jersey  Volunteers 245 

Map — The  Fight  for  Little  Round  Top -  246 

Map — ^Ruger's  Division  Twelfth  Corps. _ 248 

Map — Longstreet  in  Position  for  Attack  on  Sickles  .. -  -  250 

Map — Union  Line  after  Sickles'  Defeat 251 

Monument  Seventh  Regiment  New  Jersey  Volunteers 255 

Map — Repulse  of  Louisiana  Tigers  ...  -  265 

Map — Fourth  Position  of  Thirteenth  Regiment  New  Jersey 

Volunteers - -  -  267 

Monument  Eighth  Regiment  New  Jersey  Volunteers  _ . 269 

Map — Twelfth  Corps  Charging  on  Gulp's  Hill — .  —  272 

Map — Last  Position  Thirteenth  Regiment  New  Jersey  Volunteers.  273 

Monument  Eleventh  Regiment  New  Jersey  Volunteers .  289 

Map — Repulse  of  Longstreet's  Charge  July  3 — Position  of  Twelfth 

New  Jersey  Volunteers — -  283 

Marker  Twelfth  Regiment  New  Jersey  Volunteers  at  Bliss  Barn._  291 

Brevet  Lieutenant-Colonel  William  E.  Potter 295 

Map — The  General  Line  of  Battle  at  time  of  Pickett's  Charge  . .  .301 

Map — New  Jersey  Regiments — July  2... .J  310 

Monument  Twelfth  Regiment  New  Jersey  Volunteers -  311 

Monument  Thirteenth  Regiment  New  Jersey  Volunteers...  .  319 

Surgeon  J.  J.  H.  Love -323 

New  Jersey  Battle-Field  Commission -  335 

Monument  Battery  "A"  (Parsons')  First  New  Jersey  Artillery..  .  339 
Monument  Battery  "  B"  (Clark's)  First  New  Jersey  Artillery..  .  349 
Monument  First  New  Jersey  Cavalry 357 


CHAPTER  I. 

NEW  JERSEY  REGIMENTS  IN  THE  ARMY  OF  THE  POTO 
MAC  FROM  l86rTO  JUNE  30,  1863,  THEIR  ASSIGN 
MENTS  TO  DUTY  AND  THE  COMMANDS  WITH  WHICH 
THEY  SERVED  —  TABLES  SHOWING  LOSSES  FOR  TWO 
YEARS. 

THE  patriotism  of  the  citizens  of  New  Jersey 
during  the  stormy  period  of  1861-65,  was 
attested  on  many  occasions,  not  alone  by  the 
valor  of  her  soldiery  on  scores  of  battle-fields,  but  by 
the  promptness  with  which  the  people  responded  to 
the  call  of  the  National  Government  for  troops,  and 
the  thorough  manner  in  which  the  several  organiza 
tions  were  armed  and  equipped  before  leaving  the 
State.  No  appeal  by  the  general  government  was 
ever  made  to  the  State  authorities  for  assistance  in 
vain.  Governor  Olden  cooperated  heartily  and  cordi 
ally  \vith  the  President  and  Secretary  of  War  in  all 
their  efforts  to  suppress  the  rebellion  in  its  infancy, 
and  at  the  very  outbreak  of  hostilities  forwarded  to 
Washington  a  brigade  of  four  regiments,  aggregating 
three  thousand  men,  for  three  months'  service  under 
command  of  General  Theodore  Runyon.  This  bri 
gade  was  fully  armed  and  equipped  at  the  expense 


NE  W  JERSE  Y  TROOPS 


of  the  State  and  was  the  first  completely  equipped 
body  of  troops  to  make  its  appearance  at  the  National 
Capital,  where  it  was  greeted  with  the  utmost  grati 
fication  by  the  President.  The  Secretary  of  War 
feelingly  appreciated  the  promptness  of  the  State 
authorities  in  so  generously  and  effectively  aiding  the 
National  Government  in  its  efforts  to  preserve  its 
own  integrity,  and  in  a  letter  to  Governor  Olden 
cordially  acknowledged  the  great  service  thus  ren 
dered,  and  in  the  name  of  the  government  tendered 
its  sincere  thanks  to  the  people  of  the  commonwealth. 
The  theory  entertained  by  the  National  authorities 
that  the  rebellion  would  be  crushed  out  in  three 
months'  time  soon  proved  erroneous.  The  rebellious 
states  waxed  bolder  and  bolder  in  their  defiance  of  the 
National  Government  and  resisted  every  offer  of  peace 
so  determinedly,  that  a  call  was  issued  for  thirty-nine 
regiments  of  infantry  and  one  of  cavalry  to  serve  for 
three  years  or  during  the  war,  the  quota  for  New 
Jersey  being  three  regiments  of  infantry.  Before 
another  month  had  expired  a  second  demand  was 
made  upon  the  State,  this  time  for  five  additional 
regiments,  all  to  serve  for  the  same  period  of  time. 
Under  these  calls  there  were  promptly  raised  two 
brigades  of  infantry  and  two  batteries  of  artillery, 
as  follows  : 

First  Regiment— Colonel,  William  R.  Montgomery. 
Second   Regiment — Colonel,  George  W.  McLean. 
Third  Regiment — Colonel,  George  W.  Taylor. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


Fourth  Regiment — Colonel,  James  H.  Simpson. 
Battery    "A"   First  New  Jersey  Artillery — Captain 
William  Hexamer,  Commanding. 

These  regiments  formed  the  First  New  Jersey  Bri 
gade,  and  were  assigned  to  duty  with  Franklin's 
Division.  General  Philip  Kearny  was  commissioned 
by  Governor  Olden  and  placed  in  command  of  the 
brigade.  The  Second  Brigade  was  composed  of  the 
following : 

Fifth  Regiment — Colonel,  Samuel  H.  Starr. 
Sixth  Regiment — Colonel,  James  T.  Hatfield. 
Seventh  Regiment — Colonel,  Joseph  W.  Revere. 
Eighth  Regiment — Colonel,  Adolphus  J.  Johnson. 
Battery  "  B  "    First  New  Jersey  Artillery — Captain 
John  E.  Beam,  Commanding. 

This  brigade  was  assigned  to  Hooker's  Division 
where  it  became  a  great  favorite  and  was  eventually 
known  as  "  Hooker's  Old  Guard."  It  formed  the 
Third  Brigade  of  the  Second  Division,  Third  Army 
Corps,  and  was  commanded  by  Colonel  Starr  of  the 
Fifth  Regiment,  the  senior  officer. 

Rapidly  as  these  organizations  were  formed  the 
opportunities  presented  for  enlistment  were  not  suffi 
cient  to  satisfy  the  desires  of  a  great  many  who 
were  anxious  to  go  to  the  war.  Thousands  of  Jersey- 
men  enlisted  in  the  regiments  of  other  States,  and 
whole  companies  left  Newark,  Elizabeth,  Rahway, 
Orange  and  other  places  and  were  incorporated  with 


NE  IV  JERSE  Y  TROOPS 


New  York  and  Pennsylvania  regiments  and  credited 
to  those  States. 

The  Ninth  Regiment  was  specially  authorized  by 
the  War  Department  as  a  rifle  regiment,  and  in  a 
short  time  its  ranks  were  full.  Under  the  command 
of  Colonel  Joseph  W.  Allen  it  proceeded  to  North 
Carolina,  as  part  of  the  Burnside  Expedition,  gaining 
immediate  renown  at  the  Battle  of  Roanoke  Island. 

The  War  Department  also  gave  direct  authority 
for  the  raising  of  an  infantry  regiment  in  the  State, 
to  be  known  as  the  "  Olden  Legion."  The  Governor 
strenuously  opposed  this  movement,  and  would  have 
nothing  whatever  to  do  with  it.  Finally  the  State 
agreed  to  accept  it  and  the  Governor  commissioned 
William  R.  Murphy  its  Colonel,  and  designated  it  as 
the  Tenth  Regiment. 

In  August  1 86 1,  a  regiment  of  cavalry  known  as 
"  Halstead's  Horse  "  was  ordered  to  be  recruited  in 
the  State  by  the  direct  authority  of  President  Lin 
coln,  and  the  companies  as  soon  as  formed  were 
forwarded  to  Washington.  Like  the  Tenth  Infantry, 
dissatisfaction,  wrangling  and  vexation  ensued,  and 
finally  the  State  authorities  were  prevailed  upon  to 
accept  it,  when  it  became  the  First  New  Jersey 
Cavalry  with  Sir  Percy  Wyndham  as  its  Colonel. 

On  July  ;th,  1862,  a  call  was  issued  for  three 
hundred  thousand  men  to  serve  for  three  years  or 
during  the  war,  under  which  the  following  organiza 
tions  were  formed  and  sent  to  Washington : 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG   CAMPAIGN.  5 

Eleventh  Regiment  —Colonel,  Robert  McAllister. 
Twelfth  Regiment — Colonel,  Robert  C.  Johnson. 
Thirteenth  Regiment — Colonel,  Ezra  A.  Carman. 
Fourteenth    Regiment— Colonel,  William    S.  Truex. 
Fifteenth  Regiment — Colonel,  Samuel  Fowler. 

Instead  of  brigading  these  troops  together,  the 
exigencies  of  the  service  demanded  their  immediate 
presence  in  Washington  as  soon  as  possible  after  their 
muster-in.  The  Eleventh  Regiment  was  assigned  to 
Carr's  Brigade,  Sickles'  Division,  Third  Army  Corps  ; 
the  Twelfth  Regiment  to  the  Second  Brigade,  Third 
Division,  Second  Army  Corps ;  the  Thirteenth  Regi 
ment  to  Gordon's  Brigade,  Williams'  Division,  Banks' 
Corps ;  the  Fourteenth  Regiment  to  a  Provisional 
Brigade,  Middle  Division,  Eighth  Army  Corps ;  and 
the  Fifteenth  to  the  First  New  Jersey  Brigade,  First 
Division,  Sixth  Army  Corps. 

The  State  had  shown  commendable  promptness  in 
forwarding  its  troops  to  the  seat  of  war,  and  the 
repeated  calls  upon  the  people  for  volunteer  soldiers 
were  responded  to  with  alacrity.  The  total  number 
of  three  years  troops  furnished  to  the  Government 
by  New  Jersey  up  to  this  period  amounted  to  six 
hundred  and  twenty-eight  officers  and  fifteen  thou 
sand  two  hundred  and  seventy-seven  enlisted  men ; 
total  fifteen  thousand  nine  hundred  and  five.  These 
figures  are  from  the  Adjutant  General's  report,  the 
.original  muster  of  each  regiment  being  as  follows: 


6 


NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


ORGANIZATION. 

OFFICERS. 

MEN. 

TOTAL. 

First  Regiment  Cavalry 

44 

008 

I.  °42 

First  Regiment  Artillery  Battery  A_. 
First  Regiment  Artillery  Battery  B_. 
First  Regiment  Infantry 

5 
5 
18 

151 

159 
006 

156 
I64 
I,O34 

Second  Regiment  Infantry 

38 

1,  006 

I  r>/j/| 

Third  Regiment  Infantry 

38 

I,OI3 

I,O5I 

Fourth  Regiment  Infantry 

38 

871 

909 

Fifth  Regiment  Infantry 

38 

823 

86r 

Sixth  Regiment  Infantry         _.    

38 

860 

898 

Seventh  Regiment  Infantry 

38 

882 

920 

Eighth  Regiment  Infantry 

38 

851 

889 

Ninth  Regiment  Infantry 

42 

1,115 

i,i57 

Tenth  Regiment  Infantry 

35 

883 

918 

Eleventh  Regiment  Infantry 

39 

94° 

979 

Twelfth  Regiment  Infantry   

39 

957 

992 

Thirteenth  Regiment  Infantry   ._ 

38 

899 

937 

Fourteenth  Regiment  Infantry  

39 

968 

1,007 

Fifteenth   Regiment  Infantry 

38 

909 

917 

628 

15,277 

15,905 

With  the  single  exception  of  the  Ninth  Regiment 
these  organizations  all  served,  at  one  time  or  another, 
with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  in  the  field,  and  deduct 
ing  the  number  represented  by  the  Ninth  Regiment, 
the  actual  number  of  men  furnished  by  New  Jersey  to 
that  Army  was  five  hundred  and  eighty-six  officers  and 
fourteen  thousand  one  hundred  and  sixty-two  enlisted 
men,  a  total  of  fourteen  thousand  seven  hundred  and 
forty-eight.  The  First  and  Second  New  Jersey  Bri 
gades  followed  the  fortunes  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  through  all  its  checkered  career  from  the 
Peninsula  campaign  under  McClellan  to  the  surrender 
of  Lee  at  Appomattox,  winning  imperishable  renown 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG   CAMPAIGN. 


on  scores  of  battle-fields  for  their  bravery,  endurance 
and  fighting  qualities. 

The  defeat  of  General  Pope  at  the  second  battle 
of  Bull  Run  filled  the  people  of  the  North  with  dismay, 
and  the  authorities  at  Washington  with  fear  for  the 
safety  of  the  Capital.  On  the  4th  of  August,  1862,  the 
President  issued  a  call  for  three  hundred  thousand  men 
for  nine  months'  service,  a  draft  being  ordered  to  take 
place  on  September  ist  ensuing,  if  the  number  required 
were  not  sooner  furnished  by  volunteers.  The  quota 
for  New  Jersey  under  this  call  was  placed  at  ten  thou 
sand  four  hundred  and  seventy-eight,  and  orders  were 
at  once  issued  to  proceed  with  the  recruiting  of  this 
number.  At  the  same  time  the  State  was  engaged  in 
filling  its  quota  under  the  previous  call  of  July  ;th  for 
three  year  troops,  and  in  order  to  meet  this  extra 
emergency,  city,  township  and  county  officials,  offered 
liberal  inducements  for  men  to  take  service  in  these 
commands,  and  thus  avoid  the  draft  so  imperatively 
ordered.  On  the  third  day  of  September  the  Adjutant- 
General  announced  the  formation  of  eleven  regiments 
for  nine  months'  service,  with  an  aggregate  of  ten  thou 
sand  seven  hundred  and  fourteen  men,  all  volunteers, 
and  being  an  excess  of  two  hundred  and  thirty-six  over 
the  number  called  for.  These  regiments  were  num 
bered,  officered  and  assigned  to  duty  as  follows : 

Twenty-first  Regiment — Colonel,  Gillian  Van  Hou- 
ten ;  assigned  to  Third  Brigade,  Second  Division,  Sixth 
Army  Corps. 


NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


Twenty-second  Regiment— Colonel,  Cornelius  For- 
net;  assigned  to  duty  in  the  Defences  of  Washington, 
and  afterward  to  the  Third  Brigade,  First  Division, 
First  Army  Corps. 

Twenty-third  Regiment— Colonel,  John  S.  Cox; 
assigned  to  the  First  New  Jersey  Brigade,  First  Divis 
ion,  Sixth  Army  Corps. 

Twenty  -  fourth  Regiment  —  Colonel,  William  B. 
Robertson;  assigned  to  duty  first  in  the  Defences  of 
Washington,  and  afterward  with  KimbalPs  Brigade, 
French's  Division,  Couch's  (Second)  Corps. 

Twenty-fifth  Regiment— Colonel,  Andrew  Derrom  ; 
assigned  to  Second  Brigade  of  Casey's  Division,  and 
afterward  to  First  Brigade,  Third  Division,  Ninth 
Army  Corps. 

Twenty-sixth  Regiment— Colonel,  A.  J.  Morrison; 
assigned  first  to  Briggs'  Brigade,  Sumner's  Corps,  and 
next  to  the  First  Vermont  Brigade  (General  Brooks), 
Second  Division,  Sixth  Army  Corps. 

Twenty-seventh  Regiment— Colonel,  George  W. 
Mindil;  assigned  to  Casey's  Division  and  next  to 
Second  Brigade,  First  Division,  Ninth  Army  Corps. 

Twenty-eighth  Regiment— Colonel,  Moses  N.  Wise- 
well ;  assigned  to  First  Brigade,  Third  Division,  Sec 
ond  Army  Corps. 

Twenty-ninth  Regiment— Colonel,  Edwin  F.  Apple- 
gate  ;  assigned  to  various  duties  around  Washington, 
and  finally  to  Third  Brigade,  First  Division,  First 
Army  Corps. 

Thirtieth  Regiment— Colonel,  Alexander  E.  Donald. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


son,  and  Thirty-first  Regiment,  Colonel  A.  P.  Berthoud, 
brigaded  with  the  Twenty-second  and  Twenty-ninth 
Regiments,  as  part  of  the  Third  Brigade,  First  Divis 
ion,  First  Army  Corps. 

With  the  addition  of  these  troops  the  number  of  men 
contributed  to  the  Government  reached  the  very 
respectable  figure  of  twenty-five  thousand  t\fo  hun 
dred  and  fifty-seven,  all  volunteers,  of  whom  twenty- 
three  thousand  one  hundred  and  sixteen  were  accred 
ited  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

These  new  regiments,  put  right  into  the  field  with 
veterans  who  had  served  under  McClellan  on  the  Pen 
insula  campaign  and  at  Antietam,  rendered  valuable  and 
efficient  service  under  Burnside  at  the  dreadful  slaughter 
of  Fredericksburg,  with  Hooker  at  the  ill-fated  battle 
of  Chancellorsville,  and  with  Sedgewick  at  Marye's 
Heights  and  Salem  Church.  They  passed  through  all 
the  rugged  and  trying  experiences  to  be  found  in 
active  campaigning  in  the  immediate  presence  of  the 
enemy,  and  had  just  become  fully  inured  to  the  hard 
ships  and  trials  of  a  soldier's  life  when  their  term  of 
service  expired.  At  about  the  same  time  the  terms  of 
service  of  a  large  number  of  two  years  troops  also 
expired,  and  with  this  large  depletion,  after  the  battle  of 
Chancellorsville,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  weak 
ened  to  a  considerable  extent.  The  casualties  which 
the  older  three  year  regiments  had  sustained  during 
their  severe  service,  reduced  some  of  them  to  mere 
skeletons,  not  a  regiment  of  the  original  eight  in  both 
New  Jersey  brigades  numbering  more  than  four  hun- 


10 


NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


dred  men  after  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  while  the 
average  for  all  would  not  be  greater  than  three  hundred 
each.  The  official  returns  are  not  accessible  for  a  veri 
fication  of  this  statement,  but  the  reports  of  the  several 
New  Jersey  regiments  made  on  the  3Oth  day  of  June, 
1863,  just  before  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  opened,  are 
sufficient  for  the  purpose  of  comparison.  The  follow 
ing  data,  taken  from  the  original  rolls  at  the  War 
Department,  Washington,  and  on  file  at  the  Adjutant- 
General's  office,  of  this  State,  at  Trenton,  shows  the 
strength  of  each  New  Jersey  regiment  and  battery  to 
have  been  on  the  date  named : 

NUMBER  OF    MEN  OF    EACH    NEW  JERSEY  BATTERY   AND 
REGIMENT,  ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC,   PRES 
ENT  FOR  DUTY  JUNE  30,  1863. 


ORGANIZATIONS. 

OFFIC'RS. 

MEN. 

TOTAL. 

First  Regiment  Cavalry 

18 

216 

234 

First  Regiment  Artillery  Battery  A       .    _   . 

4 

112 

116 

First  Regiment  Artillery  Battery  B       ... 

4 

139 

143 

26 

.  266 

2Q2 

Second  Regiment  Infantry         

28 

377 

4O5 

Third  Regiment  Infantry 

26 

2QQ 

325 

Fourth  Regiment  Infantry  (Train  Guard)  
Fourth  Reg't  Infantry  (ist  Div.  6th  Corps)  
Fifth  Regiment  Infantry                         

2C 

4 
15 

274 

88 
206 

2Q4 
92 
221 

Sixth  Regiment  Infantry       _          

13 

233 

246 

Seventh  Regiment  Infantry 

22 

300 

331 

Eighth  Regiment  Infantry 

13 

185 

198 

Eleventh  Regiment   Infantry 

275 

Twelfth  Regiment   Infantry                  ..    

25 

507 

532 

Thirteenth   Regiment  Infantry 

28 

332 

360 

Fifteenth  Regiment  Infantry 

21 

420 

441 

Total                                                        

267 

3,963 

4.505 

IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


II 


The  total  strength  of  these  commands  as  it  appears 
by  the  preceding  table,  compared  with  the  number 
of  men  furnished  by  the  original  muster  of  each  regi 
ment,  will  show  the  great  depletion  to  which  they 
had  been  subjected  in  their  past  service.  The  First 
and  Second  Brigades  had  suffered  greatly  from  sick 
ness  brought  on  by  exposure  during  the  Peninsula 
campaign,  and  when  to  the  casualties  thus  occasioned 
is  added  the  losses  by  death,  and  those  killed  in 
action  or  dying  from  wounds  received  in  battle,  with 
the  discharges  made  necessary  by  disability  of  vari 
ous  kinds,  the  percentage  of  waste  during  the  pre 
vious  two  years'  experience  will  be  found  very  large. 

To  show  the  relative  condition  of  the  New  Jersey 
troops  at  the  beginning  of  the  battle  of  Gettysburg 
with  their  entry  into  the  service,  the  original  figures 
of  these  fifteen  commands  are  here  reproduced : 

ORIGINAL  MUSTER. 


ORGANIZATIONS. 

OFFICERS. 

MEN. 

TOTAL. 

First  Regiment  Cavalry.          ..    . 

44 

998 

I,O42 

First  Regiment  Artillery,  Battery  A_ 
First  Regiment  Artillery,  Battery  B. 
First  Regiment  Infantry  

5 
5 
38 

151 
159 

996 

156 
164 

I,O34 

Second  Regiment  Infantry  

38 

1,  006 

I,O44 

Third  Regiment  Infantry 

38 

1,013 

I,O5I 

Fourth  Regiment  Infantry 

38 

871 

909 

Fifth  Regiment  Infantry 

38 

823 

861 

Sixth  Regiment  Infantry 

38 

860 

898 

Seventh  Regiment  Infantry  _. 

38 

882 

920 

Eighth  Regiment  Infantry  

38 

851 

889 

Eleventh  Regiment  Infantry 

-IQ 

040 

Q79 

Twelfth  Regiment  Infantry 

70 

OC3 

992 

Thirteenth  Regiment  Infantry 

38 

890 

937 

Fifteenth  Regiment  Infantry 

38 

QOQ 

947 

. 

436 

10,503 

10,939 

12  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


Out  of  these  ten  thousand  nine  hundred  and  thirty- 
nine  officers  and  men  of  New  Jersey  in  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  mustered  into  the  service  at  various 
times  in  1861-62  to  serve  for  three  years  or  during 
the  war,  there  were  reported  "  Present  for  duty "  on 
June  30th,  1863,  but  four  thousand  five  hundred  and 
five,  a  loss  of  about  sixty  per  cent.  The  number  of 
men  on  special  service,  and  those  "Absent  without 
leave  "  during  that  period,  would  account  for  only  a 
small  fraction  of  this  percentage,  and  the  record  of 
all  these  organizations  will  bear  the  closest  scrutiny 
for  trying  and  exhaustive  service  in  campaigning  and 
in  actual  conflict  with  the  enemy.  It  had  not  been 
the  policy  of  the  State  authorities  to  recruit  men  to 
fill  up  the  losses  in  the  old  regiments,  and  they  were 
continually  being  weakened  by  various  causes. 

The  men  who  went  to  the  war  in  1861  and  1862, 
were  governed  by  love  of  country  and  hatred  of  the 
heresy  of  Secession.  They  were  the  representatives  of 
a  principle,  and  embodied  in  their  service  the  patriotic 
sentiment  of  the  time.  No  danger  was  too  great,  no 
trial  too  severe,  but  found  them  ready  and  willing  to 
undertake  its  performance,  and  in  the  case  of  hundreds 
of  these  patriotic  men,  when  their  term  of  service 
expired  they  reenlisted  for  the  whole  war.  This  was 
the  class  of  men  who  confronted  Lee's  army  on  the 
heights  of  Gettysburg.  They  had  become  used  to 
defeat,  but  they  could  not  be  dismayed.  Their  faith  in 
the  ultimate  success  of  the  cause  they  espoused  never 
wavered,  though  the  rebel  army  was  devastating  the 


MAJOR-GENERAL  JOSEPH  HOOKKR, 

Commander  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

Resigned,  June  27,  1863. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  15 

loyal  State  of  Pennsylvania.  Each  report  that  came  to 
their  ears  of  the  destructive  march  of  Lee's  army 
through  the  North  only  nerved  these  men  to  a  higher 
sense  of  the  responsibilities  which  devolved  upon  them, 
and  in  spite  of  all  the  discouragements  of  the  past  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  never  felt  itself  better  able  to 
cope  with  its  old  antagonist  than  on  those  fateful  days 
of  July,  1863. 


CHAPTER    II. 

RESUME  OF  HISTORICAL  FACTS — PUBLIC  FEELING  IN 
THE  SOUTH — TEMPER  OF  THE  REBEL  ARMY  — 
POSITION  OF  BOTH  ARMIES  IN  JUNE,  1863— THE 
FIGHT  AT  FRANKLIN'S  CROSSING  ON  THE  RAPPA- 
HANNOCK — GALLANT  CHARGE  BY  THE  TWENTY- 
SIXTH  NEW  JERSEY. 

THE  battle  of  Waterloo  put  an  end  to  the  ambitious 
career  of  Napoleon  the  First.  Gettysburg  de 
stroyed  the  hopes  of  the  South  for  the  establish 
ment  of  a  Confederacy  of  States.  And  the  South 
was  full  of  hope  in  1863.  From  the  commencement  of 
hostilities,  two  years  before,  the  prestige  of  success — or 
rather  that  which  amounted  to  the  same  thing,  the 
failure  of  the  National  Government  to  crush  out  the 
rebellion  in  the  East — was  with  General  Lee  and  his 
army.  The  fortunate  arrival  of  reinforcements  at  the 
first  battle  of  Bull  Run  stemmed  the  tide  of  retreat  in 
the  southern  army,  and  the  advance  of  these  fresh 
arrivals  upon  the  demoralized  Federals,  turned  their 
retreat  into  a  rout  and  gave  the  victory  to  the  Con 
federates.  The  Peninsula  campaign  resulted  in  fresh 
laurels  for  the  southern  troops,  and  General  Lee's 
audacious  advance  through  the  valley,  and  the  mar 
shalling  of  his  forces  on  the  field  of  Manassas,  a  second 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


time  at  Bull  Run  driving  the  Union  army  within  the 
defences  of  Washington,  gave  added  lustre  to  his  grow 
ing  fame.  What  feeling  of  opposition  had  existed  in 
the  South  toward  the  schemes  of  the  political  leaders 
who  had  raised  the  standard  of  revolt  against  the 
National  authority  had  been  silenced  by  the  victorious 
progress  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  and  when 
the  Maryland  campaign  was  inaugurated  it  received 
the  sanction  of  the  Confederate  authorities  ancl  the 
plaudits  of  the  southern  people.  There  was  a  general 
belief  in  the  South  that  Lee's  army  once  in  the  State  of 
Maryland,  thousands  of  sympathizers  would  flock  to 
swell  the  ranks  of  the  southern  forces,  and  with  this 
host  of  enthusiastic  adherents  an  army  of  invasion 
could  be  formed  which  would  compel  the  Government 
to  recognize  the  Southern  Confederacy  and  treat  with 
it  for  a  cessation  of  hostilities. 

The  sorest  defeat  for  the  South  was  not  the  loss  of 
Antietam,  it  was  the  knowlege,  dearly  gained,  that  the 
people  of  Maryland  were  not  so  demonstratively  sym 
pathetic  with  the  cause  of  the  Confederacy  as  the 
leaders  of  public  opinion  in  the  South  had  supposed. 
The  successful  retreat  of  General  Lee,  with  his  whole 
army,  into  Virginia,  was  additional  evidence  of  his 
military  ability,  and  while  "  Maryland,  my  Maryland," 
was  lost  forever  to  the  South,  General  Lee's  army 
never  admitted  that  Antietam  was  otherwise  a  sore 
defeat.  It  was  practically  a  drawn  battle,  with  the 
advantage,  if  any,  on  the  side  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  Lee's  defence  of  Fredericksburg  Heights  in 


1 8  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

the  December  which  followed,  and  the  defeat  of  the 
Union  army  with  great  loss— followed  in  May,  1863, 
with  his  remarkable  victory  at  Chancellorsville— stimu 
lated  the  war  feeling  of  the  South  and  awakened  an 
enthusiasm  such  as  had  never  before  been  witnessed 
there.  So  intense  was  the  feeling,  so  confident  the 
leaders,  that  the  invasion  of  the  North  by  the  Con- 
federa.te  army  was  demanded  by  the  press  of  the  South 
and  by  public  opinion.  It  was  known  that  the  term  of 
service  of  many  regiments  in  the  Union  army  was 
about  to  expire,  and  the  crushing  defeats  that  had 
recently  been  sustained  by  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
were  not  conducive  to  reenlistment.  Besides  this,  a 
feeling  of  despondency  had  settled  over  the  North,  the 
faction  that  had  been  opposing  the  war  were  growing 
bolder  in  their  utterances,  and  an  invasion  of  the  North, 
it  was  believed,  would  so  excite  the  fears  of  these  peo 
ple  that  extraordinary  efforts  to  arouse  public  opinion 
in  favor  of  peace  at  any  price  would  result.  With  a 
divided  public  opinion  in  the  North,  the  southern  army 
safely  entrenched  on  northern  territory,  the  actual 
transfer  of  the  seat  of  war  to  northern  soil  must  re 
sult,  it  was  believed,  in  a  settlement  of  the  conflict, 
and  on  terms  satisfactory  to  the  South.  The  invasion 
of  Pennsylvania  was  not  for  the  purpose  of  receiving 
accessions  to  the  southern  army,  but  to  conquer  a 
peace.  The  movement  had  the  sanction  of  military 
precedent,  was  cordially  indorsed  by  the  Confederate 
authorities,  aroused  the  enthusiasm  of  the  soldiery,  and 
stimulated  the  overweening  confidence  of  the  southern 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


people  to  a  firm  belief  in  its  ultimate  success.  Armed 
reinforcements  and  recruits  eagerly  joined  the  forces 
of  General  Lee,  and  buoyant  with  hope,  exultant  and 
confident,  the  Confederate  army  left  their  camps  on 
the  Rappahannock,  while  the  prayers  and  fervent 
hopes  of  a  united  South  bid  them  God-speed  in  their 
mission. 

The  temper  of  the  southern  army  at  this  time  is 
thus  tersely  expressed  by  Alfriend  :  "  The  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia,  a  compact  and  puissant  force, 
seventy  thousand  strong,  which  had  never  yet  known 
defeat,  instinctively  expected  the  order  for  advance 
into  the  enemy's  country.  Never  was  the  morale  of 
the  army  so  high,  never  had  it  such  confidence  in  its 
own  prowess,  and  in  the  resources  of  its  great  com 
mander,  and  never  was  entrusted  to  its  valor  a 
mission  so  grateful  to  its  desires  as  that  tendered  by 
President  Davis  '  to  force  the  enemy  to  fight  for 
their  own  Capital  and  homes.'  ' 

The  Union  army  on  the  first  of  June  was  posted 
on  the  north  bank  of  the  Rappahannock  river,  while 
the  rebel  army  was  on  the  south  side,  mainly  concen 
trated  about  Fredericksburg.  As  preliminary  to  the 
general  movement  Lee,  with  strategic  skill,  began  the 
massing  of  his  forces  at  Culpepper,  leaving  A.  P. 
Hill's  division  at  Fredericksburg  tg  mask  the  move 
ment.  General  Hooker  was  wary  and  suspicious, 
and  from  the  nature  of  the  reports  brought  to  him 
by  his  scouts,  he  was  confident  an  important  move 
ment  was  contemplated  by  Lee.  He  ordered  a 


20  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

reconnoissance  in  force  by  the  Sixth  Army  Corps, 
Howe's  division  of  which  was  to  cross  the  Rappa- 
hannock  June  5th,  while  Wright's  and  Newton's  divis 
ions  were  to  take  position  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
river,  in  support. 

This  was  to  be  the  initial  movement  of  the  Gettys 
burg  campaign  on  the  part  of  the  Union  forces,  and 
by  it  the  valor  of  New  Jersey  troops  was  once  more 
to  be  tested.  The  Twenty-sixth  Regiment,  which 
formed  part  of  Grant's  brigade  of  Howe's  division, 
had  been  mustered  into  the  service  on  the  i8th  of 
September,  1862,  and  its  term  of  service,  nine  months, 
was  about  expiring.  It  had  taken  part  in  the  two 
previous  engagements  at  Fredericksburg  on  December 
1 3th  and  Hth,  1862,  under  Burnside,  and  May  3rd, 
1863,  under  Hooker,  and  also  in  the  engagement  at 
Salem  Church  on  May  4th,  1863,  in  which  last  battle 
the  command  sustained  a  loss  of  124 — killed,  wounded 
and  missing. 

The  point  at  which  the  crossing  of  the  Rappa- 
hannock  was  to  be  made  was  known  as  "  Franklin's 
Crossing,"  three  miles  below  the  town  of  Fredericks- 
burg.  General  A.  P.  Hill,  the  Confederate  com 
mander,  had  constructed  a  line  of  earth-works  along 
the  south  bank  of  the  river  which  were  occupied  by 
a  strong  force,  and  when  Howe's  division  reached  the 
stream  the  .engineer  corps  were  preparing  to  lay  the 
pontoons  over  which  the  command  was  to  cross. 
It  was  five  o'clock  in  the  evening  when  the  column 
reached  the  river  bank,  and  artillery  was  at  once 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  21 

posted  in  a  commanding  position  to  sweep  the  open 
plain  between  the  enemy's  works  and  the  woods 
beyond.  While  these  preparations  were  being  made 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  the  enemy  sent  forth 
a  strong  reinforcement  to  the  rifle-pits.  As  they 
deployed  out  of  the  woods  and  moved  across  the  plain 
to  the  works  near  the  river  bank,  the  Union  artillery 
opened  fiercely  upon  them,  but  without  repelling 
their  advance.  The  fire  from  their  works  was  fierce 
and  accurate,  and  it  soon  became  evident  that  noth 
ing  short  of  a  direct  assault  could  force  them  from 
their  position.  The  efforts  of  the  engineer  corps  to 
launch  their  boats  were  futile,  and  General  Howe 
organized  a  storming  column,  consisting  of  the  Fifth 
Vermont  and  Twenty-sixth  New  Jersey  regiments, 
with  instructions  to  cross  the  river  in  boats  and 
drive  the  enemy  from  the  rifle-pits.  General  Howe 
sent  for  Lieutenant-Colonel  Martindale,  then  in  com 
mand  of  the  Twenty-sixth,  and  as  he  gave  him  the 
instructions  he  was  to  follow  complimented  him  and 
his  command  very  highly,  saying,  "  In  a  few  days 
your  term  of  service  will  be  over  and  you  will 
return  home  to  your  friends  with  an  untarnished 
reputation  for  gallantry  and  covered  with  glory." 
The  column  formed  within  seventy-five  yards  of  the 
river  bank,  the  Fifth  Vermont  on  the  right,  the 
Twenty-sixth  on  the  left,  and  under  a  severe  fire  from 
the  enemy.  The  artillery  ceased  firing,  the  advance 
was  begun,  the  Fifth  Vermont  moved  rapidly  down 
a  narrow  gulch  to  the  river  bank,  while  the  Twenty- 


22  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

sixth  went  down  a  road  cut  parallel  with  the  river 
and  fully  exposed  to  the  enemy's  fire.  The  Twenty- 
sixth  rushed  gallantly  down,  crossed  the  narrow 
margin  of  the  flats  that  bordered  the  river,  where 
they  found  that  the  engineers  had  launched  but 
seven  of  the  boats.  The  regiment  was  now  in 
a  perilous  position.  Crowded  together  in  a  small 
space  at  the  river  bank,  they  were  exposed  to  a 
galling  and  murderous  fire,  and  as  the  engineers 
boldly  rushed  to  the  river  to  aid  in  launching  the 
rest  of  the  boats  several  of  their  number  were 
killed  and  wounded.  To  remain  inactive  now  was 
suicide.  Captain  Samuel  U.  Dodd,  of  Company  H, 
being  on  the  right  of  the  line,  sprang  into  the  first 
boat,  followed  by  Lieutenant  Dodd  and  as  many  of 
his  men  as  could  find  room  in  it,  and  pushed  out 
in  the  stream.  Ordering  his  men  to  protect  them 
selves  below  the  gunwales  of  the  boat,  Captain  Dodd 
directed  its  course  to  the  opposite  bank.  He  was  a 
man  of  large  stature,  a  conspicuous  mark  for  the 
enemy's  fire,  and  as  the  boat  reached  the  middle  of 
the  river  he  received  a  •  mortal  wound,  dying  the 
next  day.  Immediately  following  came  a  boat  with 
the  Major  of  the  Fifth  Vermont  and  a  detachment 
from  that  regiment,  next  in  order  being  Captain 
Stephen  C.  Fordham  and  Captain  Peter  F.  Rogers 
with  several  men  of  the  Twenty-sixth.  Major  William 
W.  Morris,  with  men  from  several  companies,  filled 
another  boat,  and  Captain  Samuel  H.  Pemberton,  in 
charge  of  the  fourth  boat,  followed  by  three  other 


IN  T//E  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


boats  filled  with  men  of  the  Twenty-sixth,  moved  boldly 
to  the  opposite  side.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Martindale 
superintended  the  launching  of  the  other  boats,  and 
the  men  of  Captains  Hunkele,  Mclntee,  Harrison, 
Sears  and  Pearson's  companies  did  herculean  work 
in  dragging  the  immense  frames  to  the  river.  It 
was  nearly  seven  o'clock  when  the  boats  reached  the 
opposite  bank  and,  without  waiting  for  the  whole 
command  to  get  over,  a  movement  upon  the  works 
was  at  once  begun.  There  was  an  eager  rivalry 
between  the  Vermonters  and  Jerseymen  as  to  which 
should  gam  the  rifle-pits  first.  Major  Morris,  with  a 
portion  of  the  Twenty-sixth,  charged  rapidly  up  to 
the  enemy's  lines,  as  did  the  Fifth  Vermont.  The 
rebels  saw  that  retreat  across  the  plain  was  hopeless. 
The  Sixth  Corps  artillery  commanded  the  whole  posi 
tion  between  them  and  the  woods  beyond,  and  they 
surrendered.  Major  Morris,  without  waiting  to  note 
how  many  prisoners  were  captured,  at  once  deployed 
his  men  as  skirmishers  along  the  Bowling  Green 
road.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Martindale  brought  the  rest 
of  the  regiment  up  as  soon  as  they  had  crossed  over 
and  they  were  posted  as  pickets  for  the  rest  of  the 
night.  The  action  was  spirited,  brave  and  gallant, 
and  to  the  Twenty-sixth  is  undoubtedly  due  the 
honor  of  being  first  in  the  enemy's  works,  though 
the  report  of  Colonel  Grant  seeks  to  give  that  credit 
to  the  Fifth  Vermont,  who  turned  in  to  him  all  the 
prisoners  taken.  The  casualties  in  the  Twenty-sixth 
were  2  killed  and  17  wounded,  as  follows: 


26  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

Killed. 

Company  H  — Captain,  Samuel  U.  Dodd. 
"  I — Private,  Joseph  H.  Ainsworth. 

Wounded. 

Company    B— Corporal,    William     H.    Brown ; 
Privates,  William  Small,  William 
Delaney,  Martin  V.  B.  Sandford, 
D wight  Stent,  Henry  L.  Johnson. 
C— Robert  Wallace. 
D — William  Davis,  David  Mintonge. 
"  E — Henry   Berner. 

F — Corporal,  William  Egbertson. 
G — Sergeant,  George  S.  Force. 
H— David  F.  Horton. 
I— Joseph     DeCamp,    George     W. 

Griffin,    Horace   Goble. 
K— Aaron  G.  Mead. 

The  following  is  the  official  report  of  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Martindale,  concerning  the  action  of  the  regi 
ment : 

HEADQUARTERS  26ra  NEW  JERSEY  VOLUNTEERS,  \ 
In  the  Field  near  Fredericksburg,  Va., 

June  8th,  1863.  ) 

Lieutenant  C.  H.  Forbes,  Assistant  Adjutant-General : 

SIR — Of  the  part  taken  by  this  regiment  in  the  recent 
operations  across  the  Rappahannock,  a  report  of  which 
I  am  desired  to  forward,  I  have  the  honor  to  state  as 
follows  : 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  2J 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  5th  instant  the  regiment  was 
ordered  to  march  from  its  camp  near  White  Oak 
Church  and  move  with  the  brigade  toward  Fredericks- 
burg.  Arriving  near  the  old  crossing  point  (Frank 
lin's),  next  below  the  town,  it  was  formed  in  line  of 
battle  under  fire  of  the  enemy's  riflemen,  who  were 
posted  in  earth-works  near  the  south  bank.  Here  we 
suffered  our  first  loss  in  killed  and  wounded.  Imme 
diately  afterward  the  order  was  given  to  charge  down 
the  road  to  the  river,  under  cover  of  a  heavy  fire  from 
our  artillery,  push  across  the  pontoons  and  carry  the 
line  of  rifle-pits  occupied  by  the  enemy.  This  order 
was  executed  at  once,  in  a  spirited  manner,  under  a 
galling  fire  from  the  enemy's  earth-works.  This  regi 
ment  and  the  Fifth  Vermont  had  been  ordered  to  cross 
the  river  together,  but  the  right  of  the  Twenty-sixth 
New  Jersey  having  reached  the  river  bank  a  little  in 
advance,  its  first  two  companies  were  the  first  to  enter 
the  boats,  cross  over  and  charge  up  the  opposite  bank. 
A  portion  of  our  right  company  (H)  was  the  first  of  our 
regiment  to  enter  the  enemy's  intrenchments,  which 
they  did  at  the  same  moment  with  the  Fifth  Vermont, 
capturing  a  considerable  number  of  prisoners.  A  line 
of  skirmishers  was  immediately  pushed  out  to  the  front, 
and  the  whole  regiment  was  deployed  in  and  beyond 
the  Bowling  Green  road  until  the  morning  of  the  6th 
instant,  when  it  was  relieved,  placed  in  line  of  battle, 
resting  upon  Deep  Run,  and  so  continued  until  the 
evening  of  the  /th,  when  the  regiment  was  ordered 
back  to  the  left  bank  of  the  Rappahannock.  Our 


28  NE IV JERSEY  TROOPS 

casualties  were  2  killed  and  17  wounded.  Among  the 
killed  I  am  deeply  grieved  to  be  compelled  to  mention 
Captain  Samuel  U.  Dodd,  of  Company  H,  who  fell  a 
sacrifice  to  his  gallant  and  conscientious  devotion  to 
duty  while  bravely  leading  his  company  in  the  first 
boat  across  the  river.  The  loss  to  his  company  and 
regiment  is  irreparable,  but  the  good  influence  of  his 
noble  example  and  character  will  endure  for  all  time. 

It  gives  me  particular  pleasure  to  call  your  attention 
to  the  fidelity  and  good  conduct  of  Major  Morris,  in 
every  requirement  of  duty,  both  in  crossing  and  form 
ing  upon  the  opposite  bank,  and  particularly  upon  the 
trying  and  exhausting  duty  of  the  skirmish  line. 

Of  the  line  officers,  while  many  are  justly  entitled  to 
great  praise  for  meritorious  conduct,  I  desire  to  call 
your  particular  attention  to  the  conspicuous  gallantry 
and  spirited  conduct  of  Captain  Stephen  C.  Fordham, 
of  Company  A,  who  distinguished  himself  both  in  the 
attack  upon  the  enemy's  intrenchments  and  the  advance 
to  the  extreme  front  of  the  line  of  skirmishers.  Also  to 
that  of  Lieutenant  John  Dodd,  of  Company  H,  who 
distinguished  himself  in  like  manner,  and  was  the  first 
man  of  either  regiment  to  plant  his  foot  upon  shore  in 
crossing  the  river. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be, 

Respectfully  your  obedient  servant, 

E.  MARTINDALE, 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Commanding  Regiment. 

The  conspicuous  gallantry  of  Captain  Fordham  is 
well  illustrated  by  the  following  incident : 


IN   THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


When  the  boat  containing  Major  Morris  and  his  men 
had  reached  within  a  few  feet  of  the  river  bank  Captain 
Fordham,  who  had  accompanied  a  part  of  the  regiment 
over  in  a  previous  boat,  stepped  from  under  the  bank 
of  the  river  and  asked  what  the  command  should  next 
do  ?  The  Major  responded,  "  Wait,  Captain,  until  I 
land."  Just  at  that  moment  the  Major  of  the  Fifth 
Vermont,  hearing  Captain  Fordham's  call  for  orders, 
started  up  the  road  in  the  direction  of  the  enemy's 
works.  Captain  Fordham  saw  the  movement,  and  tak 
ing  one  man  with  him,  started  off  to  get  in  advance  of 
the  Vermonter,  and  as  they  came  abreast  of  each  other 
both  moved  rapidly  for  the  enemy's  position.  This 
action  nerved  the  rest  to  follow  his  example,  and  with 
out  waiting  for  the  whole  regiment  to  cross  they 
started  on  a  run  and  all  together  charged  the  position. 
Lieutenant  Rochus  Heinisch,  of  Company  "  A,5'  Cor 
porals  William  H.  Brown  and  W.  H.  Whittemore, 
Company  "  B,''  were  first  into  the  enemy's  works. 
Corporal  Brown  was  wounded. 

The  charge  of  the  Twenty-sixth  was  gallantly  per 
formed  and  has  received  the  highest  words  of  praise, 
but  Colonel  Grant,  commanding  the  brigade,  in  his 
report  of  the  affair,  seeks  to  award  the  credit  to  the 
Fifth  Vermont  as  being  the  first  to  enter  the  works. 
He  says :  "  We  left  camp  yesterday,  soon  after  noon, 
and  marched  to  the  river,  a  distance  of  about  five  miles. 
The  pontoons  were  on  the  ground  ready  to  be  taken 
down  the  bank  and  thrown  across  the  river.  The 
rebels  had  constructed  rifle-pits  in  front  of  and  com- 


32  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

manding  the  point  where  the  bridges  were  to  be 
placed.  These  rifle-pits  were  occupied  by  rebel  infantry. 
As  soon  as  the  artillery  could  be  got  into  position  it 
opened  a  terrific  fire  upon  the  rifle-pits.  It  had  but 
little  effect,  however,  except  to  keep  back  reinforce 
ments  that  were  coming  to  the  assistance  of  those 
already  in  the  works.  But  very  few  of  those  in  the  pits 
were  injured  by  the  artillery  fire.  They  managed  to 
keep  up  a  galling  fire  upon  the  engineers  that  attempted 
to  construct  the  bridges.  It  was  determined  to  drive 
the  rebels  from  the  rifle-pits.  The  Fifth  Vermont, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Lewis,  and  Twenty-sixth  New 
Jersey,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Martindale,  were  ordered 
forward  for  that  purpose.  They  rushed  gallantly  down 
the  bank  and,  with  the  assistance  of  the  engineers,  and 
under  a  galling  fire  from  the  rifle-pits,  they  launched 
the  pontoon  boats  into  the  stream,  jumped  into  them 
and  rowed  across  and  landed  upon  the  south  bank. 
But  a  few  companies  of  the  Fifth  had  crossed  when 
they  sprang  up  the  bank,  and  with  shouts  charged  the 
rifle-pits,  driving  the  enemy  from  them  in  great  con 
fusion,  taking  many  of  them  prisoners.  The  Twenty- 
sixth  New  Jersey  came  gallantly  to  the  support  of  the 
Fifth  and  did  well,  but  it  is  believed  the  Fifth  cleared 
the  rifle-pits." 

This  is  faint  justice  from  a  brigade  commander  for  a 
gallant  and  most  heroic  service,  and  the  evident  intent 
to  award  the  chief  credit  to  the  Fifth  Vermont  for  a 
service  performed  by  the  Twenty-sixth  New  Jersey  in 
conjunction  with  them,  is  not  the  work  of  a  broad  or 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


33 


generous  disposition.  An  eye-witness  of  the  fight,  one 
of  the  Fiftieth  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteers,  says 
of  it: 

"  General  Howe  at  once  ordered  the  Twenty-sixth 
New  Jersey  to  cross  and  storm  the  pits,  and  most 
gallantly  and  fearlessly  did  they  go  in.  The  rebels 
stuck  to  their  position  until  those  fearless  Jerseymen 
set  foot  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  which  was  about 
half-past  six  o'clock,  when,  notwithstanding  the  shower 
of  canister  sent  after  them,  they  fled  before  the  impetu 
ous  charge  of  those  gallant  Jersey  Blues ;  indeed,  they 
could  not  well  leave  before,  (or  our  cannon  completely 
swept  the  plain  and  their  pits  was  by  far  the  safest  place 
for  them.  Skirmishers  were  immediately  deployed  and 
soon  brought  in  sixty  or*  seventy  prisoners,  belonging 
principally  to  Florida  regiments.  My  own  position 
was  such  that  I  could  see  the  whole  affair.  Our  resfi- 

o 

ment  suffered  considerably — we  lost  28  killed — many  in 
our  brigade  who  were  killed  or  wounded  are  within  a 
few'  days  of  the  expiration  of  their  terms  of  service  ;  the 
same  is  true,  as  I  am  informed,  of  the  Twenty-sixth 
New  Jersey,  but  still  neither  the  one  or  the  other 
faltered  in  the  least  in  going  forward  in  the  performance 
of  their  dudes,  and  they  deserve  and  should  receive 
honor  from  all  men." 


CHAPTER  III. 

LEE'S  PLAN  OF  CAMPAIGN — DISPOSITION  OF  HIS  FORCES 
— GENERAL  HOOKER  MYSTIFIED  BUT  NOT  DECEIVED 
—THE  CAVALRY  FIGHT  AT  BRANDY  STATION — THE 
FIRST  NEW  JERSEY  CAVALRY'S  BRILLIANT  CHARGE. 

WHETHER  General  Lee  had  forebodings  of  dis 
aster  when  making  his  plans  for  an  offensive 
campaign  will,  perhaps  never  be  known,  but 
certain  it  is  that  while  everybody  about  him,  and 
public  feeling  in  the  South,  was  full  of  confidence  and 
hope,  he  was  depressed  in  spirits.  He  evidently 
realized  that  the  future  of  the  Southern  Confederacy 
depended  upon  the  success  of  his  operations.  The 
situation  elsewhere,  from  the  southern  point  of  view, 
was  not  the  most  encouraging.  General  Grant  was 
hammering  away  at  Vicksburg  and  the  possibilities  of 
its  fall  were  alarming.  General  Longstreet  thus  sum 
marizes  the  situation : 

"  While  General  Lee  was  reorganizing  his  army  he 
was  also  arranging  the  new  campaign.  Grant  had  laid 
siege  to  Vicksburg,  and  Johnston  was  concentrating  at 
Jackson  to  drive  him  away.  Rosecrans  was  in  Tennes 
see  and  Bragg  was  in  front  of  him.  The  force  Johnston 
was  concentrating  at  Jackson  gave  us  no  hope  that  he 


MAJOR  WILLIAM  W.  MORRIS, 

26th  Regt.  N.  J.  Vols.,  Inf. 
(From  a  War -time  Photograph^) 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  37 

would  have  sufficient  strength  to  make  any  impression 
upon  Grant,  and  even  if  he  could,  Grant  was  in  position 
to  reinforce  rapidly  and  could  supply  his  army  with 
greater  facility.  Vicksburg  was  doomed  unless  we 
could  offer  relief  by  a  strategic  move.  I  proposed  to 
send  a  force  through  East  Tennessee  to  join  Bragg,  and 
also  to  have  Johnston  sent  to  join  him,  thus  concentrat 
ing  a  large  force  to  move  against  Rosecrans,  crush  out 
his  army  and  march  against  Cincinnati.  That,  1 
thought,  was  the  only  way  we  had  to  relieve  Vicksburg. 
Qeneral  Lee  admitted  the  force  of  my  proposition,  but 
finally  stated  that  he  preferred  to  organize  a  campaign 
into  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania,  hoping  thereby  to 
draw  the  Federal  troops  from  the  southern  points  they 
occupied.  After  discussing  the  matter  with  him  for 
several  days  I  found  his  mind  was  made  up  not  to 
allow  any  of  his  troops  to  go  west.  I  then  accepted 
his  proposition  to  make  a  campaign  into  Pennsylvania, 
provided  it  should  be  offensive  in  strategy  but  defensive 
in  tactics,  forcing  the  Federal  army  to  give  us  battle 
when  we  were  in  strong  position  and  ready  to  receive 
them." 

A  successful  invasion  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  defeat 
of  the  northern  army,  were  the  primary  objects  of  the 
campaign.  These  would  not  alone  counterbalance  the 
effect  that  the  fall  of  Vicksburg  would  have  upon  the 
southern  mind,  it  would  give  the  representatives  of  the 
South  in  foreign  countries  a  vantage  ground  in  securing 
the  recognition  of  the  Confederacy,  which  meant  an 
open  market  in  which  to  purchase  supplies  and  muni- 


38  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

tions  of  war,  and,  perhaps,  bring  about  the  intervention 
of  the  great  powers  for  a  cessation  of  hostilities ;  peace 
ably  if  possible,  by  armed  support  if  necessary.  Eng 
land  and  France  were  only  awaiting  an  opportunity  to 
extend  a  helping  hand  to  the  South.  A  victory  for 
General  Lee  on  northern  soil  would  be  all-sufficient. 
The  plan  of  campaign  was  prepared,  the  preliminary 
movements  had  been  made.  General  Lee  had  divided 
his  army  into  three  parts  :  Hill  was  left  at  Fredericks- 
burg,  Longstreet  and  Ewell  moved  toward  Culpepper, 
from  which  point  Ewell  was  to  proceed  to  the  Shenan- 
doah  Valley  to  clear  the  way  for  the  balance  of  the 
army  to  follow.  On  the  seventh  of  June  General  Lee's 
cavalry  moved  to  the  Rappahannock  river,  their 
artillery  being  posted  so  as  to  cover  the  crossing  at 
Beverly  Ford.  On  this  same  day  General  Wright's 
division,  of  the  Sixth  Corps,  relieved  the  troops  of 
Howe's  division,  at  Franklin's  Crossing,  below  Fred- 
ericksburg,  Hooker  thus  keeping  up  a  show  of  force 
sufficient  to  detain  Hill,  while  Lee  ordered  Longstreet 
and  Ewell  to  halt  near  the  Rapidan  river  long  enough 
to  ascertain  what  the  Union  Commander's  intentions 
were,  and  to  be  in  supporting  distance  of  Hill,  if 
wanted.  On  the  eighth  of  June  Hooker  directed 
Pleasonton — who  had  been  placed  in  command  of  all 
the  cavalry — to  make  a  reconnoissance  in  the  direction 
of  Culpepper  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  possible 
plans  of  the  enemy.  The  resistance  made  by  General 
Hill  at  Fredericksburg  was  obstinate  enough  to  con 
vince  Hooker  that  the  enemy  were  in  strong  force  at 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  39 

that  point,  but  his  suspicions  were  not  allayed.  He 
believed  that  some  movement  of  great  importance  was 
contemplated  by  Lee,  and  that  movement,  he  rightly 
divined,  was  an  invasion  of  the  North. 

The  Cavalry  Corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
comprised  three  divisions,  commanded  as  follows : 
First  Division,  General  John  Buford ;  Second  Divis 
ion,  Colonel  A.  N.  Duffie ;  Third  Division,  General 
D.  McM.  Gregg,  and  a  Regular  Cavalry  Reserve 
with  six  batteries.  For  the  purpose  of  this  recon- 
noissance  the  corps  was  divided  into  two  wings,  the 
right  comprising  the  First  Cavalry  Division  and  the 
Reserve  Brigade,  supported  by  a  detachment  of 
infantry  under  the  command  of  General  Ames,  of 
the  Eleventh  Corps,  the  wing  being  commanded  by 
General  Buford.  The  left  wing  comprised  the 
Second  and  Third  Divisions  of  cavalry,  with  General 
D.  A.  Russell's  detachment  of  infantry  from  the 
Sixth  Corps,  the  whole  commanded  by  General 
Gregg.  General  Pleasonton  made  his  headquarters 
with  Buford's  wing.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  eighth 
of  July  the  corps  moved  out  on  their  mission,  the 
right  wing  halting  near  Beverly  Ford  and  the  left 
wing  at  Kelly's  Ford,  on  the  Rappahannock.  So 
far  the  advance  toward  Culpepper  had  progressed 
satisfactorily,  but  the  next  movement  lead  to  a  con 
flict  where  none  was  anticipated,  the  separated 
wings  of  Pleasonton  having  to  encounter  Stuart's 
whole  force  and  engage  him  in  separate  conflict. 
General  Buford  crossed  the  river  early  on  the  ninth 


40  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

and  met  the  enemy  between  the  Ford  and  Brandy 
Station,  but  was  compelled  to  retire  by  reason  of 
the  great  superiority  of  numbers  against  which  he 
was  pitted.  General  Gregg  crossed  the  river  at 
Kelly's  Ford  between  five  and  six  o'clock  in  the 
morning  and  was  moving  toward  Stevensburg,  at 
which  point  he  was  directed  to  establish  the  left  of 
his  line,  the  infantry  detachment  under  General 
Russell  being  ordered  to  move  direct  to  Brandy 
Station.  Gregg  heard  the  firing  of  Buford's  men, 
and  after  a  march  of  five  miles  overtook  Duffie's 
division,  whose  advance  had  reached  Stevensburg 
without  meeting  the  enemy,  and  he  ordered  them  to 
move  at  once  upon  Brandy  Station,  taking  the  same 
road  as  the  Third  Division.  When  the  head  of 
Gregg's  division  reached  the  Station  the  enemy  were 
there  in  great  force,  having  only  a  short  time  before 
repulsed  the  First  Division.  In  the  charge  of  the 
Third  Division  upon  Stuart's  forces  the  First  New 
Jersey  Cavalry  carried  off  the  honors  of  the  day  for 
impetuous  dash  and  consummate  skill.  Of  the  heroic 
part  taken  by  this  command  in  this,  the  first  great 
cavalry  fight  of  the  war,  no  improvement  can  be 
made  upon  the  realistic  description  given  by  Chap 
lain  Pyne,  in  his  "  History  of  the  First  New  Jersey 
Cavalry."  He  says  : 

"  It  was  on  the  eighth  of  June  that  Gregg's  divis 
ion  broke  camp  at  Warrenton  Junction,  to  march  to 
Kelly's  Ford.  Arriving  there  after  nightfall  the  men, 
formed  in  column  of  battalions,  holding  their  horses 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  41 

during  the  night,  bivouacked  without  fires  or  sound 
of  bugles.  In  consequence  of  these  and  other  pre 
cautions,  Duffie's  division  was  well  on  the  road  to 
Stevensburg,  and  Gregg  moving  toward  Brandy 
Station,  before  the  rebels  had  taken  the  alarm. 
Capturing  or  cutting  off  the  videttes,  Captain  Yorke 
led  the  advance  around  the  position  of  the  rebel 
cavalry,  and  debouched  through  the  woods  beyond 
Brandy  Station,  while  the  enemy  was  still  between 
that  place  and  the  Rappahannock  river.  As  Jones' 
brigade  hastily  formed  to  receive  us,  the  First  New 
Jersey  Cavalry  dashed  out  of  the  woods,  charging 
down  among  them.  Without  even  an  attempt  to 
charge,  the  rebel  line  broke  in  confusion ;  and  driv 
ing  them  back,  pell-mell,  the  regiment  pressed  upon 
their  rear.  With  a  hundred  and  fifty  prisoners, 
taken  by  a  body  of  only  t\vo  hundred  and  fifty -nine 
enlisted  men,  the  regiment  then  rallied  and  re-formed 
for  the  greater  work  before  them. 

"Nearly  half  a  mile  apart,  on  two  eminences  of  a 
continuous  line  of  hill,  stood  a  couple  of  country 
houses,  surrounded  by  their  customary  farm  buildings 
and  enclosures,  though  both  had  been  dilapidated  by 
the  frequent  presence  of  the  soldiery  of  both  armies. 
At  the  one  facing  the  right  of  the  line  General 
Stuart  had  established  his  headquarters,  and  each  of 
them  was  protected  by  a  battery  of  horse  artillery. 
Leaving  the  First  Pennsylvania  Regiment  to  support 
his  battery,  Wyndham  formed  the  First  Jersey  for 
a  charge.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Broderick  was  at  its 


42  NE  IV  JERSE  Y  TROOPS 

head,  and  in  column  of  battalions  it  advanced,  with 
a  steady  trot,  its  line  more  accurate  than  ever  on 
parade.  As  it  passed  over  the  difficult  ground  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  railroad,  there  was  danger  of  its 
front  being  compressed  by  the  narrowness  of  the 
defile.  Without  a  pause,  Hobensack  led  the  left 
squadron  of  the  first  line  down  the  steep  bank  of 
the  cutting  and  up  the  other  side— a  steep  descent 
and  rise  of  nine  feet  each  way,  taken  by  the  whole 
body  without  a  waver  or  hesitation.  While  the 
right  squadrons  of  the  other  battalions  followed 
Broderick  against  Stuart's  headquarters,  the  left 
wings,  under  Lucas  and  Malsbury,  accompanied 
Hobensack  and  dashed  at  the  hill  on  which  stood 
the  other  battery.  So  rapid  was  the  advance  of 
both  columns  that  the  batteries  of  the  enemy  endeav 
ored  in  vain  to  get  range  upon  them ;  while  our 
own  guns,  admirably  directed  by  Martin  and  his 
officers,  played  with  terrible  effect  upon  the  station 
ary  rebel  line.  With  a  ringing  cheer  Broderick  rode 
up  the  gentle  ascent  that  led  to  Stuart's  headquar 
ters,  the  men  gripping  hard  their  sabres,  and  the 
horses  taking  ravines  and  ditches  in  their  stride.  As 
the  rebels  poured  in  a  random  and  ineffectual  volley, 
the  troopers  of  the  First  Jersey  were  among  them, 
riding  over  one  gun,  breaking  to  pieces  the  brigade 
in  front  of  them  and  forcing  the  enemy  in  confusion 
down  the  opposite  slope  of  the  hill.  Stuart's  head 
quarters  were  in  our  hands,  and  his  favorite  regi 
ment  in  flight  before  us.  At  the  same  time,  far 


COLONEL  PERCY  WYNDHAM, 

ist  N.  J.  Cav. 
(From  a  War-time  Photograph) 


IX  THE  GETTYSBURG   CAMPAIGN.  45 

away  at  Beverly  Ford,  were  heard  the  guns  of 
Buford,  as  Pleasonton  hurled  his  division,  in  column 
of  regiments,  against  the  shaken  enemy.  By  the 
same  orderly  who  carried  off  Stuart's  official  papers, 
Wyndham  ordered  up  a  section  of  his  battery  and 
the  regiment  of  Pennsylvanians.  Leaving  the  artil- 
'lery  to  the  support  of  the  First  Maryland,  the  noble 
Pennsylvanians  came  to  the  attack.  It  was  time  that 
they  did  so ;  for  a  fresh  brigade  of  rebels  was 
charging  the  hundred  men  of  Broderick.  Gallantly 
did  the  Lieutenant- Colonel  meet  the  charge.  As  the 
enemy  advanced,  down  against  them  rode  our  men  : 
Broderick  and  his  adjutant  in  front,  Hart,  Wynkoop, 
Cox,  Jemison,  Harper,  Sawyer,  Brooks  and  Hughes, 
all  in  their  places,  leading  their  respective  men. 
With  a  crash,  in  went  the  little  band  of  Jerseymen 
into  the  leading  rebel  regiment,  the  impetus  of  the 
attack  scattering  the  faltering  enemy  in  confusion 
right  and  left.  Through  the  proud  Twelfth  Vir 
ginia  they  then  rode,  with  no  check  to  their  head 
long  onset ;  and  with  dripping  sabres  and  panting 
steeds  emerged  into  the  field  beyond.  No  longer  in 
line  of  battle,  fighting  hand  to  hand  with  small 
parties  of  the  enemy,  and  with  many  a  wounded 
horse  sinking  to  the  earth,  they  met  a  third  regi 
ment  of  the  rebels,  no  longer  faltering  before  an 
unbroken  enemy,  but  rushing  eagerly  upon  the  scat 
tered  groups  of  combatants.  Even  in  this  emergency 
the  confidence  of  the  men  was  not  shaken  in  their 
leaders.  Against  that  swarm  of  opposers  each  indi- 


46  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

vidual  officer  opposed  himself,  with  such  men  as 
collected  around  him  ;  and  slowly  fighting,  breaking 
the  enemy  with  themselves  into  bands  of  indepen 
dent  combatants,  the  Jerseymen  fell  back  up  the 
bloody  hillside.  Not  a  man  but  had  his  own  story 
of  the  fight  to  tell.  Kitchen,  left  alone  for  a  moment, 
was  ridden  at  by  two  of  the  rebels.  As  one  was* 
disabled  by  his  sabre,  he  spurred  his  horse  against 
the  other.  As  the  animal  bounded  beneath  the  goad 
a  bullet  penetrated  his  brain,  and,  throwing  his  rider 
twenty  feet  beyond  him,  the  steed,  all  four  feet  in 
the  air,  plunged  headlong  to  the  earth.  As  the 
adjutant,  trembling  from  the  fall,  slowly  recovered 
his  senses,  he  saw  another  rebel  riding  at  him. 
Creeping  behind  the  body  of  his  dead  horse,  he 
rested  his  revolver  on  the  carcass  to  give  steadiness 
to  his  aim,  and  frightening  off  his  enemy,  managed 
to  escape  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  guns  and  catch 
a  riderless  horse  to  carry  him  from  the  field. 

"  In  the  middle  of  the  fight  Broderick's  horse  fell 
dead  beneath  him.  Instantly  his  young  orderly  bugler, 
James  Wood,  sprang  to  the  earth  and  remounted  him. 
While  the  bugler  himself  sought  for  another  horse,  a 
rebel  trooper  rode  at  him  with  an  order  to  surrender. 
As  Wood  was  taken  to  the  rear,  he  came  upon  a  carbine 
lying  upon  the  ground.  Seizing  it  and  leveling  it  at 
his  captor,  he  forced  the  man  to  change  places  with 
him;  and  thus,  with  an  empty  weapon,  repossessed 
himself  of  arms  and  horse,  together  with  a  prisoner. 
Jemison,  on  foot  and  alone,  was  chased  around  the 


IN  7 'HE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  47 

house  upon  the  hill,  when  he  saw  Broderick  again 
unhorsed  in  the  midst  of  a  crowd  of  enemies,  and 
Sawyer  riding  to  the  rescue.  At  the  moment  when 
Jemison  was  giving  himself  up  for  lost,  he  saw  his 
pursuers  stop,  wheel  and  hurry  away,  and  running 
himself  around  the  corner,  he  beheld  Taylor,  sword  in 
hand,  leading  the  charge  of  the  Pennsylvanians. 
Around  the  base  of  the  hill  the  sturdy  regiment  swept 
along,  driving  the  enemy  before  it,  and  making  a  com 
plete  circuit  of  the  position,  returned  again  toward 
Brandy  Station. 

"  In  the  mean  time,  the  left  wing  of  the  regiment  had 
directed  its  efforts  upon  the  other  battery  of  the  rebels. 
Keeping  to  the  trot,  their  unbroken  ranks  moved 
steadily  against  the  hill,  on  the  top  of  which  stood  the 
cannoneers  and  a  few  horsemen  observing  their 
approach.  As  they  came  nearer,  all  these  men  disap 
peared  except  one,  who  maintained  his  position  ;  and 
as  they  came  within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  summit, 
this  man  lifted  his  hat,  beckoning  with  it  to  those  in  the 
rear.  In  one  moment  the  whole  hillside  was  black  with 
rebel  cavalry,  charging  down  as  foragers,  pistol  and 
carbine  in  hand.  Hobensack  glanced  along  his 
squadron.  Not  a  man  was  out  of  place,  and  every 
horse  was  taking  the  gallop  without  a  blunder  or  over- 
rush  of  speed.  At  the  sight  of  this  united  band  of 
enemies,  the  confused  rebel  crowd  hesitated  and  shook. 
With  an  ill-directed,  futile  volley,  they  began  to  break 
away,  and  the  next  moment,  a  shrieking  mass  of  fugi 
tives,  they  were  flying  before  the  sabres  of  our  men. 


48  -       NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

The  rebel  battery  of  four  guns  was  left  with  but  two 
men  near  it,  and  with  their  eyes  fixed  upon  it  our 
officers  pressed  upon  the  fugitives.  When  within  a 
hundred  yards  of  the  guns,  and  when  looking  over  the 
hill,  Lucas  could  see  yet  another  brigade  coming  in  the 
distance  to  reinforce  the  broken  enemy,  an  ejaculation 
from  Hobensack  caused  him  to  turn  his  eyes  to  his  own 
rear.  There  was  the  main  body  of  the  force  that  had 
broken  the  right  wing  coming  into  full  line  of  battle 
upon  their  rear. 

"'Fours,  left-about,  wheel!'  was  the  instant  order. 
'  Boys,  there's  a  good  many  of  them,  but  we  must  cut 
through.  Charge ! '  and  obliquely  against  their  line 
rushed  down  the  Jersey  troopers. 

"  Enthusiasm  and  desperation  supplied  the  place  of 
numbers,  and  cutting  their  way  out,  the  little  band 
opened  a  path  toward  the  section  of  our  battery. 
Three  times  was  the  guidon  of  Company  E  taken  by 
the  enemy.  Twice  it  was  retaken  by  our  men,  and  the 
third  time,  when  all  seemed  desperate,  a  little  troop 
of  the  First  Pennsylvania  cut  through  the  enemy  and 
brought  off  the  flag  in  safety.  Once  the  rebels  who 
hung  upon  the  rear  attempted  to  charge  our  retiring 
men,  but  the  wheel  of  the  rear  division  sufficed  to  check 
their  assault,  and  the  left  wing  of  the  Jersey  reached 
Clark's  two  guns,  annoyed  only  by  the  revolvers  of  the 
rebels. 

"  Under  cover  of  the  fire  of  the  artillery,  and  assisted 
by  the  charge  of  the  First  Pensylvania,  Hart  had  suc 
ceeded  in  bringing  off  the  remnant  of  the  right  wing. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


49 


He  was  the  senior  officer  of  that  half  of  the  regiment. 
Broderick  was  dying  in  the  enemy's  hands ;  Shelmire 
lay  dead  across  the  body  of  a  rebel ;  Sawyer  and  Hyde 
Crocker  were  prisoners ;  Lieutenant  Brooks  was  dis 
abled  by  a  sabre  stroke  on  his  right  arm ;  Wyndham 
himself  had  just  received  a  bullet  in  his  leg.  Men  and 
horses  had  been  fighting  for  over  three  hours,  and 
were  now  utterly  exhausted.  Duffie  was  in  line  of 
battle  two  miles  and  a-half  to  the  rear,  but  there  was 
no  support  upon  the  field.  Kilpatrick's  brigade,  which 
had  charged  on  our  right  and  rear,  had  beaten  the 
rebels  opposed  to  it,  the  First  Maine  bearing  off  a 
battle-flag,  but  it  was  now  formed  on  our  flank,  some 
distance  from  the  field,  to  cover  us  from  being  entirely 
cut  off.  The  enemy  were  indeed  terribly  demoralized, 
and  the  charge  of  a  dozen  of  our  men  again  and  again 
routed  a  hundred  of  the  rebels  ;  but  now  there  were 
not  a  dozen  horses  that  could  charge — not  a  man  who 
could  shout  above  a  whisper.  The  guns  were  across  a 
ditch,  which  rendered  their  removal  very  difficult,  and 
it  was  their  fire  which  kept  the  rebels  from  crossing 
the  hills  to  charge  against  us.  So,  with  a  desperate 
hope  that  Duffie  might  come  up  after  all,  our  worn- 
out  troopers  stood  by  the  gallant  cannoneers  of  the 
Sixth  New  York  (Martin's,  formerly  Brarnhall's)  Inde 
pendent  Battery — New  Yorkers  by  commission,  but 
Jerseymen  of  Rahway  in  their  origin. 

"  Presently  the  apprehended  moment  came,  and  the 
last  reserves  of  the  rebels,  fresh  and  strong,  poured 
down  on  three  sides  upon  the  exhausted  little  knot 
•  4 


NE  IV  JERSEY  TROOPS 


of  Jersey  troopers.  While  cavalry  fought  hand  to 
hand  across  the  guns,  the  artillerymen  continued 
steadily  serving  their  pieces  and  delivering  their  fire 
at  the  enemy  upon  the  hijl.  Time  after  time,  as  a 
rebel  trooper  would  strike  at  a  cannoneer,  he  would 
dodge  beneath  a  horse  or  gun-carriage,  and  coming 
up  on  the  other  side,  discharge  his  revolver  at  his 
assailant  and  spring  once  more  to  his  work.  At 
length,  from  mere  exhaustion,  Hart,  Hobensack  and 
Beekman,  with  their  comrades,  were  forced  back  a 
little  way  from  the  guns,  and  while  they  were  form 
ing  the  men  afresh  the  rebels  rode  again  upon  the 
cannoneers. 

"  As  one  of  the  gunners  was  ramming  home  a 
charge,  a  rebel  officer  cut  him  down  with  three 
successive  sabre  strokes.  Then,  springing  from  his 
horse,  he  wheeled  the  piece  toward  our  troopers, 
not  fifty  yards  away.  Hobensack  turned  to  Hart, 
stretched  out  his  hand,  and  said  :  *  We  must  shut  our 
eyes  and  take  it.  Good-bye  !  '  and  clasping  each 
other's  hands  they  awaited  for  their  death.  The 
roar  of  the  piece  thundered  out,  and  the  smoke 
wrapped  them  in  its  folds,  but  the  charge  flew  harm 
lessly  over  their  heads.  The  piece  had  been  elevated 
against  the  hill,  and  the  rebels  had  not  thought  of 
changing  its  angle.  They  were  so  savage  at  the 
harmlessness  of  the  discharge  that  they  actually 
advanced  half-way  toward  our  men,  but  beyond  that 
they  dared  not  come,  and  the  Jersey  regiment 
marched  calmly  off  the  field  without  an  effort  being 
made  to  .pursue  them. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  51 

"  No  other  comment  can  be  needed  to  tell  the 
impression  made  by  them  upon  the  rebels.  If  there 
had  been  five  hundred  fresh  men  upon  the  field  they 
might  have  swept  the  .whole  rebel  cavalry  force 
into  the  Rappahannock  river. 

"  Of  the  three  senior  officers  on  the  field,  Wynd- 
ham  received  a  ball  in  the  leg,  which  unfitted  him 
for  months  for  active  service,  and  Broderick  and 
Shelmire  never  came  off  the  field  alive.  As  is  fre 
quently  the  case  in  cavalry  combats,  but  little 
quarter  was  asked  or  given.  Men  fought  as  long 
as  they  could,  and  then  fell  beneath  the  sabre  or 
pistol,  the  loss  of  the  enemy  almost  trebling  that 
of  the  National  troopers. 

"  The  name  and  character  of  Colonel  Wyndham 
are  known  throughout  the  country ;  Broderick  and 
Shelmire  were  known  to  few  beyond  their  own 
immediate  sphere  of  duty.  Within  that  sphere  they 
were  valued,  and  their  loss  was  severely  felt." 

General  Gregg,  in  his  report  of  the  fight,  says : 

"  Corfiing  thus  upon  the  enemy,  and  having  at  hand 
only  the  Third  Division  (total  strength  2,400),  I  had 
either  to  decline  the  fight  in  the  face  of  the  enemy  or 
throw  upon  him  at  once  the  entire  division.  Not 
doubting  but  that  the  Second  Division  was  near,  and 
delay  not  being  admissible,  I  directed  the  commanders 
of  my  advance  brigade  to  charge  the  enemy  formed  in 
columns  about  Brandy  House.  The  whole  brigade 
charged  with  drawn  sabres,  fell  upon  the  masses  of  the 
enemy,  and  after  a  brief  but  severe  contest,  drove  them 


5  2  A^  W  JE R  SE  Y   7  'A'  O  OP S 


back,  killing  and  wounding  many  and  taking  a  large 
number  of  prisoners.  Other  columns  of  the  enemy 
coming  up  charged  this  brigade  before  it  could  reform 
and  it  was  driven  back.  Seeing  this,  I  ordered  the 
First  Brigade  to  charge  the  enemy  upon  the  right. 
This  brigade  came  forth  gallantly  through  the  open 
fields,  dashed  upon  the  enemy,  drove  him  away  and 
occupied  the  hill.  Now  that  my  entire  division  was 
engaged,  the  fight  was  everywhere  most  fierce.  Fresh 
columns  of  the  enemy  arriving  upon  the  ground 
received  the  vigorous  charges  of  my  regiments,  and 
under  the  heavy  blows  of  our  sabres  were  in  every 
instance  driven  back.  Martin's  battery  of  horse  artil 
lery,  divided  between  the  two  brigades,  poured  load 
after  load  of  canister  upon  the  rebel  regiments. 
Assailed  on  all  sides,  the  men  stood  to  the  guns  nobly. 
Thus,  for  an  hour  and  a-half,  was  the  contest  continued, 
not  in  skirmishing  but  in  determined  charges.  The 
contest  was  too  unequal  to  be  longer  continued.  The 
Second  Division  had  not  come  up,  there  was  no 
support  at  hand  and  the  enemy's  number  were  three 
times  my  own.  I  ordered  the  withdrawal  of  my 
brigades.  In  good  order  they  left  the  field,  the  enemy 
not  choosing  to  follow. 

•&  #  #  *  *  *  * 

"  The  Third  Division  behaved  nobly,  and  where 
every  officer  and  man  did  his  duty  it  is  difficult  to  par 
ticularize.  I  would,  however,  mention  Colonel  Percy 
Wyndham,  First  New  Jersey  Cavalry,  commanding 
Second  Brigade,  and  Colonel  Judson  Kilpatrick, 


MAJOR-GENERAL  H.  JUDSON   KILPATRICK. 
Brigadier-General  Commanding  Cavalry  Brigade. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  55 

Second  New  York,  commanding  First  Brigade,  who 
gallantly  led  their  brigades  to  the  charge,  and  through 
out  the  entire  engagement  handled  them  with  consum 
mate  skill.  Colonel  Wyndham,  although  wounded, 
remained  on  the  field  and  covered  with  a  portion  of 
his  command  the  withdrawal  of  the  division.  Captain 
J.  W.  Martin,  commanding  Sixth  New  York  Battery 
of  Horse  Artillery,  did  most  excellent  service.  His 
sections  were  charged  by  the  enemy's  regiments  on  all 
sides.  Two  of  his  pieces  disabled  and  one  serviceable 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  but  not  until  twenty- 
one  of  his  men  were  cut  down,  fighting  stubbornly, 
and  nearly  all  of  the  horses  killed.  Although  the  loss 
of  these  pieces  is  to  be  regretted,  still  the  magnificent 
defense  of  them  establishes  in  the  highest  degree  the 
soldierly  character  of  the  officers  and  men  of  the  bat 
tery.  The  serviceable  gun  was  spiked  before  the 
enemy  got  it." 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  men  so  honorably  men 
tioned,  Colonel  Wyndhan,  Colonel  Kilpatrick,  and  the 
men  of  the  Sixth  New  York  Battery,  were  all  Jersey- 
men.  The  latter  command,  while  credited  to  New 
York,  was  raised  almost  wholly  within  the  city  of 
Rahway,  this  State.  Of  thirty-six  men  who  went  into 
the  fight  but  six  came  out  safely,  and  every  one 
received  some  wound  that  he  will  carry  through  life. 
The  charge  by  the  First  New  Jersey  was  led  by  Colo 
nel  Wyndham  in  person,  aided  by  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Broderick.  At  the  first  onset  the  enemy  were  driven 
from  their  guns,  the  support  coming  up  were  met  and 


56  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

in  a  few  minutes   were   driven  back.      Reinforced,  it 
returned  and  was  again  repulsed. 

The  rebels  were  terribly  punished.  By  their  own 
confession  they  lost  many  more  than  their  adversaries, 
and  in  the  First  New  Jersey  almost  every  soldier  must 
have  killed  his  man.  Sergeant  Craig,  of  Company  K, 
is  credited  with  three ;  Slate,  of  the  same  company, 
had  several  hand-to-hand  combats  with  the  enemy, 
and  the  instances  of  individual  bravery  and  pluck  were 
numerous.  Every  soldier  had  an  exciting  story  to 
tell,  and  Adjutant  Kitchen,  who  was  in  the  thickest  of 
the  fray,  thus  describes  what  befell  himself: 

"  The  crowd  with  whom  *  Broderick  was  engaged 
was  a  little  distance  from  me,  and  I  had  just  wheeled 
to  ride  up  to  his  help  when  two  fellows  put  at  me. 
The  first  one  fired  at  me  and  missed ;  before  he  could 
again  cock  his  revolver  I  succeeded  in  closing  with 
him.  My  sabre  took  him  just  in  the  neck,  and  must 
have  cut  the  jugular.  The  blood  gushed  out  in  a 
black  looking  stream  ;  he  gave  a  horrible  yell  and  fell 
over  the  side  of  his  horse,  which  galloped  away.  Then 
I  gathered  up  my  reins,  spurred  my  horse,  and  went 
at  the  other  one.  I  was  riding  the  old  black  horse 
that  used  to  belong  to  the  signal  sergeant,  and  it  was 
in  fine  condition.  As  I  drove  in  the  spurs  it  gave  a 
leap  high  in  the  air.  That  plunge  saved  my  life.  The 
rebel  had  a  steady  aim  at  me;  but  the  ball  went 
through  the  black  horse's  brain.  His  feet  never 
touched  ground  again.  With  a  terrible  convulsive 
contraction  of  all  his  muscles,  the  black  turned  over  in 


AV  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  57 

the  air,  and  fell  on  his  head  and  side  stone  dead,  pitch 
ing  me  twenty  feet.  I  lighted  on  my  pistol,  the  butt 
forcing  itself  far  into  my  side.  My  sabre  sprang  out 
of  my  hand,  and  I  lay,  with  arms  and  legs  abroad, 
stretched  out  like  a  dead  man.  Everybody  had  some 
thing  else  to  do  than  to  attend  to  me,  and  there  I  lay 
where  I  had  fallen. 

"  It  seemed  to  me  to  have  been  an  age  before  I 
began  painfully  to  come  to  myself;  but  it  could  not 
have  been  many  minutes.  Every  nerve  was  shaking; 
there  was  a  terrible  pain  in  my  head,  and  a  numbness 
through  my  side  which  was  even  worse.  Fighting 
was  still  going  on  around  me,  and  my  first  impulse 
was  to  get  hold  of  my  sword.  I  crawled  to  it,  and 
sank  down  as  I  grasped  it  once  more.  That  was  only 
for  a  moment ;  for  a  rebel  soldier,  seeing  me  move, 
rode  at  me.  The  presence  of  danger  roused  me,  and  I 
managed  to  get  to  my  horse,  behind  which  I  sank,  rest 
ing  my  pistol  on  the  saddle,  and  so  contriving  to  get 
an  aim.  As  soon  as  the  man  saw  that,  he  turned  off 
without  attacking  me.  I  was  now  able  to  stand  and 
walk ;  'and  holding  my  pistol  in  one  hand  and  my 
sabre  in  the  other,  I  made  my  way  across  the  fields 
to  where  our  battery  was  posted,  scaring  some  with 
my  pistol  and  shooting  others.  Nobody  managed  to 
hit  me  through  the  whole  fight.  When  I  got  up  to 
the  battery  I  found  Wood  there.  He  sang  out  to  me 
to  wait  and  he  would  get  me  a  horse.  One  of  the 
men,  who  had  just  taken  one,  was  going  past,  so  Wood 
stopped  him  and  got  it  for  me. 


58  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

"Just  at  that  moment  White's  battalion  and  some 
other  troops  came  charging  at  the  battery.  The 
squadron  of  the  First  Maryland,  who  were  supporting 
it,  met  the  charge  well  as  far  as  their  numbers  went ; 
but  were,  of  course,  flanked  on  both  sides  by  the  heavy 
odds.  All  of  our  men  who  were  free  came  swarming 
up  the  hill,  and  the  cavalry  -  were  fighting  over  and 
around  the  guns.  In  spite  of  the  confusion,  and  even 
while  their  comrades  at  the  same  place  were  being 
sabred,  the  men  at  that  battery  kept  to  their  duty. 
They  did  not  even  look  up  or  around,  but  kept  up 
their  fire  with  unwavering  steadiness. 

"  There  was  one  rebel,  on  a  splendid  horse,  who 
sabred  three  gunners  while  I  was  chasing  him.  He 
wheeled  in  and  out,  would  dart  away,  and  then  come 
sweeping  back  and  cut  down  another  man  in  a  manner 
that  seemed  almost  supernatural.  We  at  last  succeeded 
in  driving  him  away,  but  we  could  not  catch  or  shoot 
him,  and  he  got  off  without  a  scratch." 

Adjutant  Kitchen  was  promoted  Lieutenant-Colonel 
of  the  Second  New  Jersey  Cavalry  the  following 
August,  and  served  until  June  30,  1864,  when  he 
resigned. 

The  First  New  Jersey  Cavalry  in  this,  as  in  every 
engagement  in  which  it  took  part,  was  noted  for  the 
bravery  of  its  men  and  the  thoroughness  with  which 
they  performed  their  duty.  Its  record  is  a  noble  and 
brilliant  one,  and  no  command  shed  greater  honor 
upon  its  native  State  than  this.  The  casualties  in  the 


COLONEL    HUGH    H.    JANEWAY, 

Major  Com'd'g  ist  N.  J.  Cav. 
(From  a  War-time  Photograph.) 


IN   THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  6 1 

fight   at   Brandy    Station    were    52,  of   whom   6  were 
officers  and  46  enlisted  men  as  follows : 

Killed. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Virgil  Broderick. 
Major  John  H.  Shelmire. 
Company  A — John  Black. 

"          B — Joseph  Howard. 

E— Sergeant     James    H.    Palmatier  ; 

George  T.  Poulson. 
F — Sergeant  Samuel  Rainear. 
G — Augustus  Ringleb. 

Wounded  and  Missing. 

Colonel  Percy  Wyndham,  gunshot  wound  through 
fleshy  part  of  leg. 

Captain  Henry  W.  Sawyer,  wounded  and  prisoner. 

Second  Lieutenant  Hyde  Crocker,  prisoner. 

First  Lieutenant  Joseph  Brooks,  wounded,  sabre  cut 
of  left  arm. 

Company  A — Henry  Cash,  Ephraim  Croasdale, 
Charles  E.  Wilson,  missing. 

Company  B — First  Sergeant  Smighton  P.  Crossman, 
Private  Aaron  H.  Rake,  wounded  ;  Jacob  Casler,  John 
Tynon,  missing. 

Company  D — Octave  Antonio,  wounded  and  miss 
ing ;  Isaiah  Buchanan,  wounded  in  shoulder;  Joseph 
Crane,  missing. 

Company  E — First  Sergeant  Joseph  Killey,  slightly 


62  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

wounded  in  head ;  Sergeant  George  W.  Steward, 
gunshot  wound  in  hip  ;  Theodore  L.  Clement,  Daniel 
McCormick,  missing.  (The  last  named  deserted.) 

Company  F — Corporal  Amos  L.  Poinsett,  severely 
wounded  in  face  and  neck  ;  Charles  Cadott,  wounded  in 
leg ;  Daniel  Cliver,  wounded  and  missing ;  Sergeant 
Joseph  F.  Thibeaudeau,  Corporal  Ridgway  S.  Asy, 
Nathan  Moore,  John  C.  Dantz,  missing. 

Company  G — First  Sergeant  Jeremiah  P.  Brower, 
Private  James  H.  Stubbs,  wounded  and  missing ; 
Richard  Darmstadt,  wounded ;  Borden  G.  Joline, 
Marshall  Summers,  missing. 

Company  H — Timothy  Mahoney,  wounded  in  leg  ; 
Corporal  John  A.  Schaffer,  Privates  William  H.  Jack 
son,  Douglas  E.  Grey,  missing. 

Company  I— Sergeant  Frederick  Schaal,  gunshot 
wound  left  wrist ;  Sergeant  Charles  Earley,  wounded 
and  missing  ;  Philip  Hann,  missing. 

Company  K — Sergeant  Robert  Tuthill,  wounded  in 
thigh  ;  Sergeant  Richard  Decker,  rib  broken ;  John  M. 
Hendershot,  wounded  in  foot ;  *  Henry  Heater,  severely 
wounded  in  the  back,  ball  passing  through  and  out  at 
the  abdomen ;  John  Hanley,  missing. 

Company  M — James  Linley,  Horace  Van  Order, 
missing. 

*Heater  recovered  from  his  wound,  was  promoted  Corporal  July  I, 
1863,  Sergeant,  January  I,  1864,  and  served  his  full  term,  being 
mustered  out  September  16,  1864. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG   CAMPAIGN.  63 

RECAPITULATION. 

Killed.     Wounded.     Missing.     Total. 
Officers.. 24  6 

Enlisted  Men. ..,. 6  19  21  46 

Total 8  23  21  52 

Among  the  Jerseymen  of  Martin's  Independent 
Battery  (Sixth  New  York)  who  did  such  heroic  service 
the  following  casualties  are  reported  : 

Wounded.— Frank.  H.  Bliss,  William  Bishop,  Augustus 
B.  Crane,  Alfred  T.  Freeman,  Robert  H.  Fowle,  John 
Jordon. — 6. 

Captured  by  the  Enemy.— Thomas  Crane,  Daniel  C. 
Cripps,  James  Horton,  Jonathan  Hand,  Daniel  A. 
High,  ^Cornelius  H.  Miller,  Rufus  M.  Miller,  Thomp 
son  Thorn. — 8.  Total,  14. 

*Recaptured  at  same  fight. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

SWELL'S-  DASHING  ADVANCE  THROUGH  THE  VALLEY— 
MILROY  SURPRISED  AT  WINCHESTER — THE  FOUR 
TEENTH  NEW  JERSEY  ON  MARYLAND  HEIGHTS- 
HISTORY  OF  THE  CORPS  BADGE — THE  NEW  JERSEY 
TROOPS  AND  THEIR  COMMANDERS — AN  EXHAUST 
IVE  MARCH. 

ON  the  tenth  of  June  General  Ewell  advanced  his 
troops  through  the  Blue  Ridge  to  Chester  Gap, 
then  pushed  on  to  Front  Royal,  where  he 
crossed  the  Shenandoah  river,  and  by  rapid  marching 
through  the  Valley  reached  Winchester  on  the  even 
ing  of  June  1 3th,  making  seventy  miles  in  three  days. 
Lee's  line  of  battle  thus  stretched  over  an  interval  of 
a  hundred  miles,  from  Fredericksburg  to  Winchester. 
This  rapid  marching  had  for  its  object  the  clearing  of 
the  Valley  of  whatever  Union  forces  might  have  been 
established  there,  the  most  important  point  being 
Winchester,  which  was  held  by  Milroy  with  about 
seven  thousand  men.  Ewell  had  so  skillfully  per 
formed  his  mission  that  Milroy  was  completely  sur 
prised. 

Winchester  is  a  railroad  station  about  thirty  miles 
southeast  from  Harper's  Ferry.     It  was  considered  a 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  65 

good  point  for  observation  and  not  particularly  valua 
ble  as  a  strategic  position.  General  Milroy  had  con 
structed  a  stout  line  of  intrenchments  about  the  town, 
and  he  had  a  force  of  men  sufficiently  large  for  any 
ordinary  defence  of  the  place.  In  the  neighborhood 
were  many  Union  families  who  naturally  relied  upon 
the  military  forces  for  protection,  and  to  whom  they 
also  were  of  great  service.  Berryville,  southeast  of 
Winchester,  was  occupied  by  Colonel  McReynolds 
with  a  brigade,  and  Major  Morris,  with  two  hundred 
men,  was  stationed  at  another  outpost,  Bunker  Hill. 

While  the  movements  of  General  Lee  were  in  pro 
gress  the  authorities  at  Washington,  on  the  nth  of 
June,  ordered  General  Milroy  to  remove  his  armament 
and  supplies  to  Harper's  Ferry.  Milroy  at  this  time 
was  ignorant  of  the  advance  of  Lee's  army  to  the  north 
side  of  the  Rappahannock  river,  though  the  fact  was 
known  to  the  government  authorities.  He  was  reluc 
tant  to  obey  the  order,  as  he  felt  able  to  cope  success 
fully  with  any  force  of  the  enemy  likely,  in  his  opinion, 
to  attack  his  position,  and  he  was  permitted  to  remain, 
subject  to  conditions  which  would  enable  him  to  avoid 
an  engagement  with  superior  numbers. 

General  Hooker,  ignorant  of  the  designs  of  the 
enemy,  had  not  yet  made  a  general  movement  of  his 
army.  On  the  loth  of  June,  after  the  cavalry  fight  at 
Brandy  Station,  Generals  Russell  and  Ames,  with  their 
detachments  of  infantry,  had  been  ordered  to  join  their 
commands,  and  the  cavalry  rendezvoused  in  the  vicin 
ity  of  Warrenton  Junction.  When  Swell's  movement 
5 


66  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

was  observed,  General  Hooker,  on  the  nth,  ordered 
the  Third  Corps  to  move  from  its  camps  in  the  vicinity 
of  Falmouth  to  Hartwood  Church,  in  close  proximity 
to  Kelly  and  Beverly  Fords,  which  crossings  they 
were  to  watch  carefully,  while  the  Fifth  Corps,  stationed 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Banks  and  United  States  Fords 
were  to  perform  a  like  service  there.  On  the  I2th  the 
lines  were  still  further  extended,  the  First  Corps  mov 
ing  from  the  vicinity  of  White  Oak  Church  to  Deep 
Run,  the  Third  Corps  taking  a  new  position  at  Bealton, 
Humphrey's  division  moving  to  the  Rappahannock, 
while  the  Eleventh  Corps  moved  from  Brook's  Station 
to  the  place  vacated  by  the  First  Corps  at  Hartwood 
Church.  The  next  day,  June  I3th,  when  Ewell  was  at 
Winchester,  General  Hooker  had  only  begun  to  put 
his  army  earnestly  in  motion.  Milroy  was  in  exceed 
ing  great  peril.  Without  any  knowledge  of  the  move 
ments  of  either  army  he  was  undecided  for  a  time 
what  to  do,  but  on  the  I2th  he  sent  word  to  Colonel 
McReynolds,  at  Berryville,  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout 
as  a  reconnoissance  ordered  by  him  had  discovered 
that  a  large  force  of  the  enemy  were  moving  on  the 
Front  Royal  road,  and  to  be  prepared  to  fall  back  on 
Winchester  should  he  be  attacked  by  superior  num 
bers.  On  the  following  day  McReynolds  fell  back,  his 
rear  guard  engaging  the  enemy,  and  succeeded  in 
reaching  Winchester  before  midnight,  after  a  severe 
march  of  thirty  miles.  The  detachment  under  com 
mand  of  Major  Morris  was  also  compelled,  after  a 
severe  engagement,  to  rejoin  the  main  body  at  \Vin- 


LIEUT.  ROCHUS  HEINISCH, 

Co.  A,  26th  Reg.  N.  J.  Vols.,  Inf. 

(From  Recent  Photograph.} 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  69 

Chester.  Milroy's  forces  were  being  hemmed  in  on  all 
sides  by  the  superior  numbers  of  Ewell,  and  these 
accessions  to  the  troops  at  Winchester  produced  great 
embarrassment.  Their  presence  augmented  the  diffi 
culties  which  beset  Milroy,  and  they  were  so  exhausted 
after  their  arduous  labors  that  Milroy  was  compelled 
to  postpone  action  until  they  recovered  sufficiently  to 
endure  further  marching.  Meanwhile  Ewell  was  mak 
ing  the  best  use  of  his  time  and  organized  his  forces 
for  attack.  The  eastern  side  of  the  town  was  ap 
proached  first,  but  the  attack  there  was  gallantly 
repulsed.  The  enemy,  reinforced,  made  a  more  deter 
mined  effort  and  succeeded  in  getting  possession  of 
part  of  the  town,  but  they  were  driven  out  by  artil 
lery.  Milroy  then  attempted  to  steal  his  way  out,  but 
every  avenue  of  escape  seemed  to  be  cut  off  and  as  a 
last  resort  he  determined  to  fight  his  way  through  the 
rebel  lines.  The  enemy  outnumbered  him  two  to  one, 
but  a  desperate  charge  upon  their  lines  enabled  the 
troops  to  break  through.  In  the  darkness  the  column 
became  divided  and  Milroy  succeeded  in  bringing  safe 
to  Harper's  Ferry  the  greater  part  of  his  command. 
Colonel  Ely's  and  Colonel  McReynolds'  brigades 
were,  however,  captured.*  This  cleared  the  Valley 
of  all  Union  troops  and  made  the  further  progress  of 
Lee's  army  to  Williamsport  an  easy  matter. 

*  Milroy's  losses  were  severe.  General  Lee  reported  that  his  troops 
captured  "  more  than  4,000  prisoners,  29  guns,  277  wagons  and  400 
horses."  These  no  doubt  included  seven  hundred  prisoners  and  five 
guns  captured  by  General  Rodes  at  Martinsburg. 


70  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

The  alarm  that  was  felt  in  Washington  by  Ewell's 
presence  in  the  Valley  led  to  the  receiving  of  marching 
orders  by  the  Fourteenth  New  Jersey  Regiment, 
Colonel  William  Truex,  then  stationed  at  the  Monocacy 
river.  Hurriedly,  in  light  marching  order,  the  regi 
ment  moved  to  the  cars  in  waiting  to  carry  them  to 
Harper's  Ferry,  one  company  remaining  behind  to 
guard  the  bridge  at  the  river.  The  regiment  went 
into  camp  on  Maryland  Heights,  with  the  troops  of 
General  Tyler,  who  had  escaped  from  Martinsburg 
after  a  fierce  encounter  with  Rodes'  division  of 
Ewell's  corps.  The  Fourteenth  encamped  on  the 
Heights  for  about  two  weeks.  General  Tyler  was 
superseded  by  General  French,  who  at  once  proceeded 
to  fortify  his  position  and  make  it  impregnable  from 
attack.  At  this  arduous  and  fatiguing  duty  the  Four 
teenth  were  kept  busily  engaged  and  suffered  great 
hardship  and  exposure. 

On  June  I3th,  General  Hooker  abandoned  his  posi 
tion  opposite  Fredericksburg,  the  First  Corps  moving 
from  Deep  Run  to  Bealton,  the  Fifth  from  the  fords 
on  the  Rappahannock  toward  Morrisville,  Wright 
and  Newton's  divisions  of  the  Sixth  Corps  from  Frank 
lin's  Crossing  to  Potomac  Creek,  the  Eleventh  Corps 
to  Catlett's  Station,  while  the  Twelfth  Corps  moved 
from  Stafford  Court  House  and  Aquia  Creek  Landing 
to  Dumfries,  marching  all  night  long.  The  store 
houses  and  supply  depots  at  Aquia  Creek  were  burned. 
As  soon  as  the  Federal  army  disappeared  from  his 
front,  General  A.  P.  Hill  broke  camp  at  Fredericks- 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG   CAMPAIGN. 


burg  and  started  to  join  Longstreet  and  Lee  at  Cul- 
pepper. 

The  New  Jersey  troops  were  distributed  as  follows 
in  the  several  corps  :* 

*  Each  of  the  corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  were  designated  by  a 
badge,  the  First  Division  color  being  red,  the  Second  Division  white, 
and  the  Third  Division  blue.  The  flags  of  each  division  headquarters 
were  designated  as  follows:  First  Division,  a  square  flag,  white,  with 
red  emblem  in  centre;  Second  Division,  blue  flag,  white  emblem  in 
centre;  Third  Division,  white  flag,  with  blue  emblem  in  centre.  Bri 
gade  headquarter  flags  were  triangular,  the  colors  being  arranged  in 
the  same  manner.  This  method  of  distinguishing  the  various  corps 
emanated  from  the  simple  device  employed  by  General  Kearny,  while 
in  command  of  a  division  on  the  Peninsula  campaign,  under  General 
McClellan.  Just  before  the  battle  of  Williamsburg  General  Kearny 
caused  the  officers  and  men  of  his  division  to  be  supplied  with  a  patch 
of  flannel  cut  in  the  shape  of  a  square  (diamond)  or  lozenge,  and  in  a 
general  order  directed  that  all  the  field  and  staff  officers  should  wear  a 
red  diamond  on  the  top  of  their  caps,  and  the  line  officers  the  same  in 
front,  the  enlisted  men  wearing  it  on  the  left  sleeve  of  the  coat.  It  was 
devised  as  a  means  of  better  distinguishing  the  officers  and  men,  as  the 
uniforms  of  both  were  so  much  alike  at  the  time  as  to  cause  confusion. 
After  the  death  of  General  Kearny,  at  Chantilly,  General  Birney,  his 
successor,  ordered  that  these  patches  should  be  worn  in  memory  of 
their  gallant  old  commander,  but  none  were  entitled  to  wear  the  badge 
but  those  who  had  been  in  action  with  the  divsion.  General  Hooker, 
when  he  was  placed  in  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  utilized 
the  idea  and  caused  each  of  his  seven  corps  to  be  designated  by  a  badge. 
The  badges  worn  by  the  New  Jersey  troops. were  as  follows  : 


it 


NE  W  JERSE  y  TROOPS 


SECOND  CORPS  —  Third  Division,  Second  Brigade. 
Twelfth  Regiment,  Major  John  T.  Hill. 

THIRD  CORPS  —  Second  Division,  First  Brigade.  Elev 
enth  Regiment,  Colonel  Robert  McAllister. 

Third  Brigade.     Fifth  Regiment,  Colonel  William  J. 

Sewell. 
Sixth  Regiment,  Colonel  George  C. 

Burling. 
Seventh    Regiment,  Colonel   L.   R. 

Francine. 

Eighth     Regiment,    Colonel     John 
Ramsey. 

Second  Army  Corps  Badge—  Trefoil.  Twelfth  New  Jersey,  Second 
Division:  Blue. 

Third  Army  Corps  Badge  —  (Kearny's)  Diamond,  First  Division: 
Red.  Fifth,  Sixth,  Seventh,  Eighth  and  Eleventh  New  Jersey  Infantry. 

Artillery  Brigade:    Battery  "  B,"  First  New  Jersey  Artillery. 

Sixth  Army  Corps  Badge  —  Greek  Cross.  First  Division:  Red.  First, 
Second,  Third,  Fourth  and  Fifteenth  New  Jersey  Regiments.  Battery 
"A,"  First  New  Jersey  Artillery. 

Twelfth  Army  Corps  Badge  —  Five  Pointed  Star.  First  Division:  Red. 
Thirteenth  New  Jersey  Regiment. 

The  designs  for  the  other  three  corps  were  as  follows: 


1  5  11 

First  Army  Corps — Disc,  or  lozenge.  Fifth  Army  Corps — Maltese 
Cross.  Eleventh  Army  Corps — Crescent. 

In  a  short  time  the  badge  was  universally  adopted  by  the  corps  in 
all  the  armies  of  the  Union,  and  became  one  of  the  most  popular 
features  of  soldier  life. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  73 

Artillery  Brigade.  Battery  "  B,"  First  New  Jersey 

Artillery,  Captain  A.  Judson 
Clark. 

SIXTH  CORPS — First  Division,  First  Brigade.  General 
A.  T.  A.  Torbert,  commanding. 

First  Regiment,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Wm.  Henry,  Jr. 

Second  Regiment,  Colonel  Samuel  L.  Buck. 

Third  Regiment,  Colonel  Henry  W.  Brown. 

^Fourth  Regiment,  Major  Charles  Ewing. 

Fifteenth  Regiment,  Colonel  William  H.  Penrose. 

Cavalry  DetacJiment.  Company  "  L,"  First  New 
Jersey. 

TWELFTH  CORPS — First  Division,  Third  Brigade. 
Thirteenth  Regiment,  Colonel  Ezra  A.  Carman. 

CAVALRY  CORPS — Second  Division,  First  Brigade. 
First  Regiment,  Major  M.  H.  Beaumont. 

Third  Division.  Brigadier-General  Judson  Kilpatrick, 
commanding. 

ARTILLERY  RESERVE— Fourth  Volunteer  Brigade. 
Battery  "  A,"  First  New  Jersey,  Lieutenant  Augustin 
N.  Parsons. 

General  Lee's  plan  of  operations  comprised,  among 
other  things,  the  drawing  away  of  the  Federal  army 
from  the  Defences  of  Washington,  thus  to  enable  him 
to  administer  a  severe  blow  to  Hooker  on  Virginia 
territory.  After  Ewell  had  successfully  driven  Milroy 
from  the  Shenandoah  Valley  Hill  moved  to  Culpepper, 

*  The  Fourth  Regiment  on  this  campaign  was  detailed  as  guard  to 
division  trains,  and  at  division  headquarters. 


74  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

and  Longstreet,  moving-  east  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  occu 
pied  Ashby's  and  Snicker's  Gaps,  hoping  by  this 
manoeuvre  to  entice  Hooker  to  move  against  him  at 
these  points.  General  Hooker,  however,  did  not  bite 
at  the  bait  thus  temptingly  held  out,  but  skillfully 
covered  the  Capital  from  any  likelihood  of  attack  and 
moved  his  army  to  checkmate  any  possible  designs  Lee 
might  have  in  that  direction.  On  June  I4th  he  had 
advanced  his  army  in  the  following  order :  The  First 
and  Third  Corps  to  Manassas  Junction,  the  Fifth  Corps 
to  Catlett's  Station,  the  First  and  Third  Divisions  of 
the  Sixth  Corps  to  Stafford  Court  House,  the  Eleventh 
Corps  to  Centreville,  which  place  it  reached  next  day. 
The  Twelfth  Corps  arrived  at  Dumfries  on  the  morn 
ing  of  the  i4th,  and  remained  there  during  the  day. 
On  the  1 5th,  the  day  of  Milroy's  defeat,  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  moved  rapidly  to  more  advanced  posi 
tions.  The  Second  Corps,  which  had  remained  at 
Falmouth,  moved  to  Aquia,  the  Fifth  Corps  joined  the 
First  and  Third  at  Manassas  Junction,  the  Sixth  Corps 
moved  to  Dumfries,  just  as  the  Twelfth  was  moving 
out  for  Fairfax  Court  House.  The  Cavalry  Corps, 
which  had  been  rendezvousing  at  Warrenton  Junction, 
moved  to  Union  Mills  and  Bristoe  Station. 

The  march  of  the  Twelfth  Corps,  from  Stafford 
Court  House  to  Dumfries,  on  the  I5th  of  June,  was  a 
memorable  one  to  the  Thirteenth  New  Jersey  Regi 
ment.  Orders  for  a  change  of  camp  had  been  received 
on  the  morning  of  the  I3th,  and  the  Third  Brigade 
broke  camp  at  Stafford  and  moved  to  Brook's  Station, 


MAJOR-GENERAL  GEORGE  GORDON  MEADE, 
Commander  Army  of  the  Potomac. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  77 

where  the  rest  of  the  day  was  spent  in  erecting  new 
quarters.  About  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening-  orders 
to  move  were  again  received,  and  in  a  short  time  the 
column  was  on  the  road,  passing  through  Stafford 
about  nine  o'clock  and  continuing  on  all  through  the 
night  until  Dumfries  was  reached  the  next  morning. 
The  night  was  very  dark,  but  for  a  good  part  of  the 
way  the  road  was  illumined  by  the  bright  reflection 
which  came  from  the  burning  buildings  at  Aquia  Creek 
Station.  The  march  to  Fairfax  on  the  I5th  of  June 
was  also  a  severe  one.  The  heat  of  the  sun  was 
intense,  there  was  little  water  to  be  found  anywhere  on 
the  route,  and  whenever  the  column  halted  for  a  brief 
rest,  men  would  search  in  vain  for  a  stream  of  water  to 
quench  their  thirst.  Occasionally  a  feeble  stream 
would  be  found,  but  the  sudden  rush  for  water  soon 
converted  it  into  a  mud-puddle,  and  thus  the  misery  of 
thirst  was  only  aggravated.  The  distance  marched 
was  about  twenty-five  miles,  and  so  overpowering  was 
the  heat  that  three  men  of  the  Third  Brigade — Charles 
E.  Somerville,  of  the  Thirteenth  New  Jersey,  and  tAvo 
men  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Seventh  New  York- 
died  from  the  exhaustion  it  caused. 

General  Hooker  had  designed  to  attack  Hill  at 
Fredericksburg  and  put  his  army  in  such  position  as 
to  interpose  between  Lee's  main  army  and  Richmond, 
but  he  was  overruled  by  General  Halleck.  Com 
pelled  therefore  to  fall  back  and  await  the  develop 
ment  of  Lee's  plans,  he  moved  his  army  with  marked 
skillfulness  and  ability.  All  the  authorities  agree  as 


78  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

to  the  general  correctness  of  the  views  advanced  by 
Hooker,  but  he  was  in  almost  every  instance  balked 
in  his  designs  by  the  military  authorities  in  Wash 
ington,  and  refused  the  cooperation  which  he  deserved. 
He  did  not  permit  himself,  however,  to  be  influenced 
by  the  clamorous  appeals  sent  to  him  ;  he  was  forced 
in  a  defensive  position  by  Lee's  movements,  and  as 
though  aware  of  the  intent  of  Lee  to  draw  him  into  a 
battle,  he  steadfastly  pursued  the  one  course  of  cov 
ering  the  Capital  against  any  possible  designs  the  rebel 
chieftain  might  have  in  that  direction,  and  putting 
himself  in  position  to  watch  every  movement  his  wily 
antagonist  might  make. 


CHAPTER   V. 

EWELL  AT  WILLIAMSPORT— JENKINS'  RAID  IN  PENN 
SYLVANIA  --  CONSTERNATION  THROUGHOUT  THE 
NORTH— NEW  JERSEY  VOLUNTEERS  GO  TO  THE 
DEFENCE  OF  HARRISBURG — HOOKER  ADVANCES  TO 
A  NEW  LINE  OF  OBSERVATION— INCIDENTS  OF  THE 
MARCH — EXECUTION  OF  DESERTERS — AN  INSTANCE 
OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN'S  MERCY  AND  WHY  IT 
FAILED. 

THE  rebel  leaders  seemed  to  have  everything  [their 
own  way  after  the  defeat  of  Milroy  at  Winchester. 
General  Lee  was  the  ruling  spirit  of  his  own 
army,  and  unlike  the  Union  commander,  was  not  hamp 
ered  by  those  in  power  at  the  seat  of  government.  He 
gave  wide  latitude  also  to  his  lieutenants,  and  thus 
practically  there  were  four  independent  armies,  acting 
with  a  common  impulse.  Ewell's  brilliant  exploit  had 
won  for  him  the  admiration  of  his  troops,  and  they 
hailed  him  as  a  worthy  successor  to  the  idolized 
"  Stonewall  "  Jackson.  The  complete  rout  of  Milroy's 
forces  stimulated  the  advancing  columns  and  embold 
ened  them  to  a  wonderful  degree.  The  fleeing  team 
sters,  contrabands  and  non-combatants  generally  who 
had  escaped  from  Ewell's  clutches,  created  consterna- 


80  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

tion  and  dismay  among  the  farmers  of  Western  Mary 
land  and  the  Cumberland  Valley,  by  the  wonderful 
stories  their  imaginations  conjured  up,  and  these  in 
turn  spread  the  alarm  by  gathering  together  their 
valuables,  live  stock,  and  portable  property,  and  fleeing 
toward  Harrisburg.  The  whole  country  was  in  a  state 
of  alarm,  and  Jenkins  with  two  thousand  of  his  impetu 
ous  cavalrymen,  started  on  a  tour  of  the  Valley  to 
prevent  the  loss  of  so  much  material  and  supplies,  of 
which  Lee's  army  stood  in  great  need.  He  entered 
Greencastle  on  the  i6th  of  June  and  at  night  of  the 
same  day  halted  at  Chambersburg.  He  levied  on 
everything  of  value  he  could  find  —  horses,  cattle, 
forage,  medical  stores,  and  went  so  far  as  to  seize  a 
number  of  free  negroes  whom  he  sent  South  to  be  sold 
as  slaves.  It  is  said  in  behalf  of  Jenkins'  fairness 
toward  the  people  whom  he  thus  despoiled,  that  he 
paid  for  the  goods  in  "  honest "  Confederate  money. 
This  is  true  only  in  part ;  he  deliberately  confiscated 
the  greater  part  of  the  supplies  seized,  making  no  offer 
of  compensation. 

The  alarm  which  prevailed  throughout  the  North 
on  the  advent  of  Jenkins  with  his  bold  raiders  in  Penn 
sylvania,  was  increased  by  the  apparent  slowness  with 
which  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  moved  toward  the 
enemy.  This  feeling  found  vent  in  hysteric  appeals 
to  the  government  and  sharp  criticism  of  the  Union 
commander,  as  the  defenceless  condition  of  Pennsyl 
vania  made  its  territory  a  fine  field  for  depredations 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  8 1 

of  all  kinds.  On  the  I5th  of  June  Governor  Curtin 
addressed  an  appeal  to  the  Governor  of  New  Jersey 
for  aid  as  follows  : 

HARRISBURG,  June  15,  1863. 
GOVERNOR  JOEL  PARKER  : 

This  State  is  threatened  with  invasion  by  a  large 
force,  and  we  are  raising  troops  as  rapidly  as  possible 
to  resist  them.  I  understand  there  are  three  regiments 
of  your  troops  at  Beverly  waiting  to  be  mustered  out. 
Could  an  arrangement  be  made  with  you  and  the 
authorities  at  Washington  by  which  the  service  of 
those  regiments  could  be  had  for  the  present  emer 
gency  ?  Please  advise  immediately. 

A.  G.  CURTIN, 
Governor  Pennsylvania. 

On  the  same  day  a  dispatch  was  received  by 
Governor  Parker  from  the  Secretary  of  War,  detailing 
the  movements  of  the  rebel  forces  in  Virginia  which 
had  been  sufficiently  developed  to  show  that  General 
Lee  with  his  whole  army  contemplated  moving  forward 
to  invade  the  States  of  Maryland,  Pennsylvania  and 
other  States.  The  President,  to  repel  this  invasion 
promptly,  had  cajled  upon  Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  Mary 
land  and  Western  Virginia  for  one  hundred  thousand 
volunteers  for  six  months,  unless  sooner  discharged, 
and  realizing  the  importance  of  having  the  largest 
possible  force  in  the  least  time,  desired  immediate  infor 
mation  as  to  what  number,  in  answer  to  a  special  call 
of  the  President,  the  Governor  could  raise  and  forward, 
6 


82  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

of  militia  or  volunteers,  without  bounty,  for  the  period 
named,  and  to  be  credited  on  the  draft  of  the  State. 

These  appeals  were  not  as  promptly  responded  to  as 
the  authorities  hoped  for.  In  Pennsylvania,  where  the 
greatest  danger  existed,  the  people  seemed  to  feel  their 
utter  helplessness,  and  looked  longingly,  anxiously,  for 
the  advance  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  Philadel 
phia  was  lethargic  to  a  wonderful  degree,  and  General 
Couch,  who  had  been  sent  to  Harrisburg,  for  the 
purpose  of  organizing  a  defensive  force  for  the  safety 
of  the  Capital,  found  himself  without  troops,  and  with 
slight  prospects  for  getting  any.  Governor  Parker  of 
New  Jersey  promptly  replied  to  the  appeal  of  Gov 
ernor  Curtin,  promising  all  the  assistance  in  his  power, 
and  on  the  i/th  issued  the  following  proclamation : 

EXECUTIVE  CHAMBER,        \ 
TRENTON,  N.  J.,  June  17,  1863.  f 

Jerseymen  !  The  State  of  Pennsylvania  is  invaded  ! 
A  hostile  army  is  now  occupying  and  despoiling  the 
towns  of  our  sister  State.  She  appeals  to  New  Jersey, 
through  her  Governor,  to  aid  in  driving  back  the 
invading  army. 

Let  us  respond  to  this  call  upon  our  patriotic  State 
with  unprecedented  zeal.  f 

I  therefore  call  upon  the  citizens  of  this  State  to 
meet  and  organize  into  companies,  and  to  report  to  the 
Adjutant-General  of  the  State  as  soon  as  possible,  to  be 
organized  into  regiments  as  the  militia  of  New  Jersey, 
and  press  forward  to  the  assistance  of  Pennsylvania  in 
this  emergency. 


MAJOR-GENERAL  A.  T.  A.  TORBERT, 
Brigadier-General  Commanding  First  N.  J.  Brigade. 

(From  Photograph  after  the  War.} 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  85 

The  organization  of  these  troops  will  be  given  in 
general  orders  as  soon  as  practicable. 

[L.  S.]      Given  under  my  hand  and  privy  seal  this 
seventeenth  day  of  June,  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty- 
three.  JOEL  PARKER. 
Attest : 

S.  M.  DICKINSON,  Private  Secretary. 

.  The  presence  in  the  State  of  a  number  of  the  nine 
months'  regiments,  whose  terms  of  service  had  or  were 
about  expiring,  caused  the  Governor  to  issue  a  special 
appeal  to  these  troops  as  follows : 

STATE  OF  NEW  JERSEY,         \ 

EXECUTIVE  CHAMBER,  TRENTON,  v 

June  17,  1863.  ) 

Soldiers !  The  Governor  of  Pennsylvania  has  re 
quested  your  services  to  assist  in  repelling  an  invasion 
of  that  State.  Your  term  of  service  has  expired.  You 
have  performed  your  duty,  and  your  gallant  conduct 
has  reflected  honor  on  yourselves  and  the  State  that 
sent  you  forth. 

It  will  take  time  to  organize  and  send  other  troops 
to  the  aid  of  Pennsylvania.  You  are  already  organ 
ized  and  drilled.  The  hard  service  you  have  seen  in 
Virginia  has  made  you  veterans — far  more  efficient 
than  new  troops  can  possibly  be. 

I  regret  any  necessity  that  may  detain  you  from 
your  homes,  but  can  this  appeal  from  a  sister  State,  in 
her  hour  of  danger,  be  disregarded  ? 

Your  State  and  United  States  pay  will  be  continued. 


86  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

You  will  not  be  required  to  go  out  of  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  will  return  as  soon  as  the  emergency 
will  admit.  Your  response  to  this  appeal  will  add  to 
the  fame  you  have  already  achieved. 

JOEL  PARKER. 

On  the  very  day  the  proclamation  was  issued,  the 
Twenty-third  Regiment,  then  in  camp  at  Beverly 
undergoing  the  necessary  preliminaries  for  being 
mustered  out,  were  called  together,  and  its  Colonel,  E. 
Burd  Grubb,  made  a  straightforward,  practical  and 
patriotic  appeal  to  his  men,  who  responded  at  once. 
Numbers  of  men  who  were  not  in  camp  at  the  time 
hastened  to  join  their  comrades,  and  that  same  evening 
the  regiment,  three  hundred  strong,  marched  through 
Philadelphia  to  the  Harrisburg  depot,  receiving  a 
grand  ovation  on  the  way.  The  next  day  they  reached 
the  threatened  city,  being  the  first  armed  force  to 
arrive,  but  to  the  surprise  of  the  men  of  the  Twenty- 
third  they  were  received  with  exceeding  coolness. 
From  the  "  Notes  of  an  officer "  in  Foster's  "  New 
Jersey  and  the  Rebellion,"  the  following  extract  is 
taken:  "  Our  men  were  refused  canteens  of  water  by 
the  citizens,  and  one  person  who  did  not  conceal  his 
secession  proclivities  came  very  near  being  *  torn  out,' 
so  exasperated  were  our  troops  at  his  undisguised 
sympathy  with  the  rebels.  It  required  all  Colonel 
Grubb's  influence  to  prevent  violence.  The  fellow  at 
last  procured  a  flag,  hung  it  out,  promised  to  behave 
in  future,  and  was  finally  let  off,  a  pretty  badly  scared 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


man,  who  took  good  care  not  to  ventilate  any  more 
disunion  sentiments  during  the  occupancy  of  the  city 
by  the  Jersey  Blues."  A  very  different  reception  was 
experienced  by  Captain  William  R.  Murphy,  of  Com 
pany  A,  First  New  Jersey  Militia,  whose  command 
also  volunteered  for  the  emergency.  In  a  dispatch  to 
Governor  Parker  he  says  : 

"At  Philadelphia  and  here  (Harrisburg)  we  have 
received  every  attention  because  we  are  Jerseymen. 
'A  citizen  of  New  Jersey  '  is  a  prouder  title  than  that 
of  a  '  Roman  citizen.'  '; 

The  Twenty-seventh  Regiment,  Colonel  Geo.  W. 
Mindil,  on  arriving  at  Cincinnati,  learned  of  the 
threatened  invasion  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  command 
was  immediately  tendered  to  the  President  who 
accepted  it,  and  it  remained  in  the  vicinity  of  Pittsburg 
and  Harrisburg  until  the  danger  had  passed.  Ten 
companies  of  New  Jersey  Militia  and  one  battery  of 
light  artillery  also  volunteered  for  the  emergency. 
These  companies  came  from  all  parts  of  the  State, 
three  from  Trenton,  commanded  by  Captains  William 
R.  Murphy,  Company  A;  George  F.  Marshall,  Com 
pany  B  ;  James  C.  Manning,  Company  C  ;  Company  D 
of  Lambertville,  Captain  Hiram  Hughes  ;  Company  E 
of  Morristown,  Captain  George  Gage  ;  Company  F  of 
Newark,  Captain  William  J.  Roberts  ;  Company  G  of 
Mount  Holly,  Captain  J.  Fred.  Laumaster  ;  Company 
H  of  Newark,  Captain  Timothy  Colvin  ;  Company  I 
of  Trenton,  Captain  Joseph  A.  Yard  ;  Independent 
Company^of  Camden,  Captain  James  M.  Scovel  ;  Light 


88  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

Battery  of  Rahway,  Captain  John  R.  Chapin.  These 
commands  all  reported  to  General  Couch  at  Harris- 
burg,  and  the  militia  companies  were  organized  into 
two  battalions,  commanded  respectively  by  Captains 
Murphy  and  Laumaster. 

These  commands  remained  in  the  State  until  all 
danger  was  over,  and  received  the  thanks  of  Governor 
Curtin  for  their  valuable  and  patriotic  services. 

While  Jenkins'  raid  was  in  progress  Ewell  remained 
at  Williamsport  to  rest  his  men,  amuse  himself  by  a 
feint  upon  Harper's  Ferry,  but  principally  to  await  the 
arrival  of  Longstreet's  corps,  which  had  been  making  a 
rather  bold  attempt  to  draw  on  a  battle  with  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac. 

This  apparant  inaction  on  the  part  of  the  enemy  was 
a  source  of  mystery  to  the  Union  commander.  He 
was  flooded  with  dispatches  from  Washington,  which 
reflected  the  excited  views  of  the  people  North, 
together  with  orders  for  the  movement  of  his  army 
which,  in  turn,  were  countermanded  soon  after.  The 
North  was  alarmed,  reasonably  so.  The  Government 
at  Washington  appeared  to  be  panic-stricken.  Hooker 
alone  seemed  to  have  his  head  firmly  set  upon  his 
shoulders.  It  was  not  yet  clear  to  his  mind  that  an 
invasion  of  Pennsylvania,  further  than  a  cavalry  raid 
on  a  large  scale,  was  intended,  and  he  therefore  deter 
mined  to  halt  his  army,  then  approaching  Centreville 
and  Manassas,  and  await  developments.  The  informa 
tion  he  sought  came  to  him  most  unexpectedly. 

The  Union  cavalry  had  given  little  attention  to  the 


COLONEL  JAMES  N.  DUFFY, 

Lieutenant-Colonel   3d    New    Jersey   Volunteers, 

Assistant  Inspector-General  on  Division  Staff. 

(From  a  recent  Photograph^ 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


rebel  horsemen  since  the  fight  at  Brandy  Station, 
quietly  following  the  movements  of  the  army  in  its 
march  toward  Washington.  Longstreet,  unobserved, 
had  taken  position  along  the  easterly  slope  of  the 
mountains,  and  to  Stuart's  cavalry  had  been  detailed 
the  duty  of  guarding  his  flanks  and  defending  the  gaps. 
General  Pleasonton  had  been  scouting  along  the  Blue 
Ridge  with  Gregg's  division  of  cavalry,  when,  on  the 
1  7th  of  June,  he  decided  to  go  through  Aldie  Gap.  The 
rebel  cavalry  had  no  suspicion  that  Pleasonton  was  in 
that  vicinity,  and  had  made  a  long  march  of  forty  miles 
for  the  purpose  of  occupying  it  themselves.  Kilpat- 
rick's  brigade  was  in  the  advance,  and  the  opposing 
forces  soon  met  in  deadly  conflict. 

Kilpatrick's  force  was  a  small  one  comprising  the 
Second  New  York,  First  Maine  and  Harris  Light  —  in 
the  latter  command  were  two  companies  from  northern 
New  Jersey,  recruited  by  Kilpatrick  himself.  The 
First  Rhode  Island  had  been  detached  that  morning 
with  orders  to  join  him  at  Middleburg.  Forming  the 
Second  New  York  Kilpatrick  boldly  charged  the 
enemy.  This  small  force  could  not  long  withstand  the 
shock,  and  as  they  galloped  back  to  find  a  rallying 
point,  the  First  Maine,  supported  by  the  Harris  Light, 
rode  upon  the  enemy  with  such  tremendous  force  as  to 
drive  them  from  their  defensive  position,  capturing 
a  battalion  of  dismounted  men  before  they  could  reach 
their  horses,  while  the  mounted  rebels  were  sent 
reeling  down  the  hill.  They  made  no  stop  until  they 
reached  Middleburg,  where  Stuart  had  encountered 


92  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

Duffie's  division.  The  next  day,  the  iQth,  Pleasonton 
occupied  Middleburg  and  Philemont,  and  after  a  series 
of  brilliant  encounters  with  the  enemy  succeeded  in 
holding  the  positions  he  had  gained.  Stuart  was 
forced  to  fall  back  behind  Longstreet's  infantry 
column,  and  the  latter  was  compelled  to  take  a  more 
westerly  route  for  his  line  of  march. 

Hooker  promptly  availed  himself  of  the  advantages 
thus  gained  by  Pleasonton.  On  the  i8th  he  occupied 
the  gaps,  the  Twelfth  Corps  being  ordered  to  Lees- 
burg,  the  Fifth  to  Aldie  and  the  Second  to  Thorough 
fare  Gap.  The  other  corps  of  the  army  were  formed 
in  a  second  line  in  reserve. 

An  amusing,  if  ghastly,  incident  is  related  by  a 
former  Sergeant  of  Company  K,  Twelfth  New  Jersey, 
which  occurred  on  the  march  to  Thoroughfare  Gap, 
with  the  Second  Army  Corps.  The  heat  was  oppres 
sive.  Men  became  utterly  exhausted  not  alone  from 
the  severe  marching,  but  their  inability  to  get  water. 
The  streams  were  all  dried  up,  and  the  little  water 
the  men  had  in  their  canteens  had  been  churned  to  a 
disagreeable  and  nauseating  degree  of  temperature. 
While  the  column  was  crossing  Bull  Run  battle-field, 
murmurings  of  discontent  arose  from  the  ranks,  the 
men  being  exceedingly  fatigued  and  in  a  complaining 
mood.  As  the  column  moved  on  the  body  of  a  dead 
soldier  was  discovered,  one  of  the  arms  protruding 
from  the  mound  of  earth  which  covered  the  remains 
and  pointing  upward.  A  soldier  with  a  penchant  for 
absurd  remarks  —  and  there  were  many  such  in  the 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


army  —  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  uplifted  arm  and 
shouted  out  :  "  Say,  boys,  see  the  soldier  putting  out 
his  hand  for  back  pay  !  "  The  remark  was  infectious. 
Men  forgot  all  about  their  sufferings,  and  the  ghastly 
joke  broke  up  all  the  disaffection  which  had  previously 
existed. 

The  Union  army  halted  on  the  line  just  established 
for  several  days.  The  position  was  an  admirable  one, 
fully  protecting  the  Capital  and  giving  the  army  a 
good  base  for  future  operations.  In  the  event  of  Lee 
moving  still  further  from  Richmond  Hooker  possessed 
splendid  opportunities  for  attacking  him  in  the  rear 
and  threatening  his  line  of  communications.  This 
Hooker  was  desirous  of  doing,  but  all  his  requests  for 
cooperative  movements  were  refused,  and  his  sugges 
tions  treated  with  contempt.  His  relations  with  the 
government  were  of  the  most  unpleasant  nature,  and 
he  was  continually  thwarted  in  his  designs. 

The  halt  of  the  army  at  this  juncture  was  not 
unwelcome  to  the  troops.  Ignorant  of  the  intense 
excitement  throughout  the  country,  accustomed  to 
place  little  reliance  in  the  "grapevine"  stories  which 
reached  them,  they  surrendered  themselves  to  the 
comforts  of  camp  life,  utterly  unmindful  of  the 
desperate  activity  which  at  that  time  was  making 
of  Harrisburg  a  fortified  city,  and  even  awakening 
Philadelphia  to  a  sense  of  insecurity.  The  customary 
duties  of  camp  life  were  at  once  instituted,  and  for  the 
first  time  in  its  history  an  execution  for  desertion  took 
place  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  Three  men  of 


NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


the  Twelfth  Corps,  two  belonging  to  the  Forty-sixth 
Pennsylvania  and  one  to  the  Thirteenth  New  Jersey, 
were  shot  in  the  presence  of  the  whole  of  the  First 
Division  on  the  igih  of  June,  at  Leesburg.  The 
reasons  which  impelled  this  action  were  given  by 
General  Slocum  in  an  address  at  Gettysburg,  on 
July  i,  1887,  at  the  unveiling  of  the  monument  of 
the  Thirteenth  Regiment.  As  the  incident  related 
furnishes  additional  evidence  of  the  kind  heart  of 
President  Lincoln,  it  is  worthy  of  reproduction. 
Desertions  had  been  alarmingly  frequent,  particularly 
under  General  Burriside,  and  heroic  measures  were 
necessary  in  order  to  put  a  stop  to  them.  General 
Slocum  said  : 

"  Mr.  Lincoln,  in  the  kindness  of  his  heart,  was  con 
stantly  pardoning  these  men.  He  could  not  sign  a 
man's  death  warrant. 

"  The  corps  commanders  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
had  a  little  conference,  and  they  agreed  that  they 
would  take  the  thing  into  their  own  hands  and  put  a 
stop  to  it.  They  agreed  that  they  would  shoot  some 
body  as  speedily  as  they  could.  We  all  pledged  our 
selves  to  that.  It  so  happened  that  I  had  at  the  time 
three  of  these  men  in  my  corps.  They  were  tried  ; 
they  were  convicted  upon  incontestable  evidence,  and 
when  we  got  up  here  to  Leesburg,  before  the  battle  of 
Gettysburg,  as  all  of  you  remember  who  were  there, 
their  graves  were  dug  and  the  men  were  placed  at  the 
head  of  the  graves  and  they  were  shot.  They  were 
sentenced  to  be  shot  between  the  hours  of  nine  and 


LIEUTENANT-COLONEL  WILLIAM  HENRY,  JR., 
Commanding  First  Regiment  N.  J.  Volunteer  Infantry. 

{From  a   War-time  Photograph"). 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG   CAMPAIGN.  97 

one.  I  gave  the  order  that  the  troops  should  be 
brought  out,  and  the  moment  the  hands  of  the  clock 
pointed  to  nine  those  men  should  be  executed.  I  did 
so  because  I  anticipated  that  a  telegram  would  come 
from  Mr.  Lincoln,  if  he  could  possibly  reach  me.  The 
wire  had  been  built  well  up :  they  were  within  a  few 
rods  of  me ;  I  knew  what  was  coming.  Before  ten 
o'clock  I  received  a  message  from  Mr.  Lincoln  saying 
if  such  a  man,  giving  his  name,  has  not  been  shot,  '  you 
will  suspend  his  sentence.'  I  sat  down  and  telegraphed 
back  to  Mr.  Lincoln,  *  The  man  has  been  executed, 
pursuant  to  his  sentence.'  Then  we  came  up  here  and 
fought  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  Great  battles  were 
fought  out  west ;  the  whole  country  was  in  a  state  of 
intense  excitement ;  and  when  we  were  ordered  west 
after  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  we  went  up  to  Washing 
ton  to  take  the  cars.  I  went  to  bid  Mr.  Lincoln  good 
bye  ;  it  was  the  last  time  I  ever  saw  him.  As  I  entered 
his  room  he  said  to  me,  without  hardly  waiting  for  me 
to  greet  him,  *  General  Slocum,  the  last  message  that  I 
received  from  you  gave  me  more  pain  than  anything 
that  has  occurred  since  I  took  my  seat  as  President.'  I 
was  astonished  at  his  words  and  I  said  with  surprise, 
'  Mr.  Lincoln,  I  don't  remember ;  what  was  it  ? '  Said  he, 
'  You  were  up  there  at  Leesburg  and  I  telegraphed  you 
to  suspend  the  sentence  of  a  man  who  was  condemned  to 
death,  and,'  said  he, '  the  wife  and  the  sister  of  that  man 
sat  here  at  this  table  opposite  me  and  I  had  to  open 
your  telegraphic  answer  and  read  it  to  them.'  Said  he, 
'  it  caused  me  more  pain  than  almost  anything  that  has 
7 


98  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

occurred   since    I    became    President    of    the    United 
States.' 

"  Now,  think  of  it,  gentlemen  ;  think  of  what  had 
intervened — three  or  four  months,  all  crowded  with 
great  events,  and  yet  the  first  thing  that  came  into  the 
mind  of  that  great  man  when  he  saw  me  was  this 
incident,  this  failure  of  his  to  save  the  life  of  one  man." 

During  the  time  which  intervened  between  the 
beginning  of  the  campaign  and  the  halt  of  the  army 
on  the  line  extending  from  Leesburg  to  Thoroughfare 
Gap,  most  of  the  nine  months  regiments  returned  to 
New  Jersey.  They  were  mustered  out  of  the  service 
at  the  following  places  : 

Twenty-first  Regiment,  on  June  19,  1863,  at  Trenton. 

Twenty-second,  on  June  25,  at  Trenton. 

Twenty-third,  on  June  27,  at  Beverly. 

Twenty-fourth,  on  June  29,  at  Beverly. 

Twenty-sixth,  on  June  27,  at  Newark. 

Twenty-seventh,  on  July  2,  at  Newark. 

Twenty-eighth,  on  July  6,  at  Freehold. 

Twenty-ninth,  on  June  30,  at  Freehold. 

Thirtieth,  on  June  27,  at  Flemington. 

Thirty -first,  on  June  24,  at  Flemington. 

The  Twenty-fifth  Regiment,  which  had  served  with 
the  Ninth  Corps,  at  Newport  News  and  Suffolk,  was 
mustered  out  on  June  20,  at  Beverly. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

FROM  THE  RAPPAHANNOCK  TO  GUM  SPRINGS — EXPERI 
ENCES  OF  THE  SEVENTH  NEW  JERSEY  REGIMENT 
AND  THE  SECOND  BRIGADE— USELESS  NIGHT  WORK 
—AN  ALL-NIGHT  MARCH. 

IN  THE  foregoing  pages  the  larger  events  of  the 
campaign  have  been  detailed  with  considerable 
minuteness  and  the  army,  as  a  whole,  treated  as  a 
great  machine,  subject  to  the  direction  and  control  of 
its  commander-in-chief ;  but  this  machine  is  composed 
of  a  large  number  of  individual  parts,  and  the  manner 
in  which  they  performed  the  severe  tasks  given  them 
fs  a  matter  of  great  interest.  At  this  first  break  in  the 
progress  of  the  army  a  favorable  opportunity  presents 
itself  to  introduce  the  recollections  of  some  of  those 
who  participated  in  the  march,  enduring  its  fatigues, 
deprivations  and  hardships. 

The  Second  New  Jersey  Brigade,  Colonel  George 
W.  Burling,  commander — comprising  the  Fifth,  Sixth, 
Seventh  and  Eighth  New  Jersey  Regiments,  the  One 
Hundred  and  Fifteenth  Pennsylvania,  and  the  Second 
New  Hampshire — formed  the  Third  Brigade  of  the 
Second  Division,  Third  Corps.  An  officer  of  this  gal 
lant  brigade  who  was  wounded  at  Gettysburg  details 


100  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

in  the  following  interesting-  manner  the  experiences  of 
that  command: 

"  On  the  eleventh  day  of  June,  1863,  the  Second 
Brigade  broke  camp  near  Falmouth,  Va.,  and  with  the 
rest  of  the  Third  Corps,  under  command  of  General 
Sickles,  marched  up  the  Rappahannock  river  toward 
McLean's  Ford,  and  Rappahannock  Station  on  the 
Orange  and  Alexandria  Railroad,  arriving  at  the  lat 
ter  place  at  sunset  the  next  day,  and  bivouacking  on 
the  north  bank  of  the  river.  *The  only  incidents  of  the 
march  of  these  two  days  were  the  oppressive  heat  and 
the  intolerable  choking  dust  of  the  latter  part  of  the 
march,  especially  when  the  column  turned  off  upon  a 
by-road,  which  led  through  a  dense  young  growth  of 
trees,  to  go  to  McLean's  Ford.  The  close  proximity  of 
the  river  to  our  halting  place,  gave  the  men  an  oppor 
tunity  to  indulge  in  the  luxury  of  a  bath,  and  to  relieve 
the  choking,  parched  sensation  with  good  drafts  of  cof 
fee,  before  sinking  down  by  their  stacks  of  muskets 
for  the  long,  good,  undisturbed  night's  sleep.  It  was 
refreshing  to  the  tired  foot  soldier  to  be  allowed  to 
sleep  until  he  had  enough,  without  being  rudely 
awakened  in  the  early  morning  by  the  sound  of  the 
"assembly."  That  was  one  of  the  few  times  in  our 
experience  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  that  we  were 
not  aroused  from  our  slumbers  by  some  command, 
before  we  had  fully  rested  from  the  fatigue  of  a  long 
march. 

"  A  slight  stir  was  occasioned  soon  after  sunrise  by 
the  galloping  of  horses  about  the  field.  The  neighing 


•••:• 


COLONEL  SAMUEL  L.  BUCK, 

Com'd'g2d  Regt.  N.  J.  Vols.,  Inf. 
(From  a  War-time  Photograph.) 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN 


of  the  animals,  and  the  shouts  of  the  awakening  soldiers 
as  the  horses  jumped  over  the  long  lines  of  sleeping 
men  in  their  wild  career,  caused  no  little  excitement 
and  apprehension  ;  but  no  one  was  touched  by  the  ter 
rible  hoofs  of  the  mad  beasts,  which  seemed  almost  as 
miraculous  as  that  so  many  should  escape  injury  in 
battle  with  a  shower  of  deadly  missiles  flying  all 
around. 

"  The  regiments  of  the  brigade  were  moved  out  of 
the  open  field  during  the  day  to  the  shelter  of  the  sur 
rounding  woods,  from  the  increasing  heat  of  the  Sum 
mer's  sun.  It  was  sultry  and  hot. 

"At  sundown  a  detail  from  the  Seventh  was  made, 
of  which  Captain  William  R.  Hillyer,  of  Company  K, 
had  charge,  to  construct  a  line  of  rifle-pits  to  command 
the  approaches  to  the  river.  Having  been  supplied 
with  picks  and  shovels  the  detail  accompanied  by  the 
engineer  proceeded  to  the  river,  on  the  bluffs  over 
looking  which  the  pits  had  been  marked  for  excava 
tion.  It  was  very  slow  work.  The  stiff,  unyielding 
red  clay  seemed  to  resist  all  efforts  to  make  an  indenta 
tion  into  it  with  the  picks,  wielded  by  the  nerveless 
arms  of  tired  soldiers.  The  urging  and  stimulating 
commands  of  Captain  Hillyer,  with  the  constant  shak 
ing  of  the  drowsy  workers,  scarcely  sufficed  to  produce 
more  than  a  beginning  of  the  ditch  laid  out.  The 
night's  work  was  useless,  and  the  men  all  felt  that  the 
task  was  an  unnecessary  one.  Another  element  con 
ducive  to  drowsiness  was  the  inky  blackness  of  the 
night,  made  more  complete  by  the  glimmering  of 


104  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

myriads  of  fireflies,  whose  brilliant  scintillations  only 
rendered  the  shallowness  of  their  illuminating  power 
more  conspicuous  by  the  failure  to  penetrate  the 
intense  blackness  in  which  they  sparkled  so  continu 
ously. 

"  Just  here  it  is  in  place  to  remark  that  at  that  period 
of  the  war  the  veterans  in  the  ranks  had  learned  to 
scent  danger  far  more  keenly  than  those  high  in 
authority.  They  seemed  to  know  intuitively  when 
danger  lurked  about  them  and  were  better  able  to 
discriminate  between  useless  and  necessary  toil  and 
hardship.  Their  keen  intelligence  and  sharpened 
instincts  plainly  satisfied  these  tired  and  worn-out 
soldiers  that  the  task  given  them  to  do  was  utterly 
useless,  and  therefore  no  amount  of  threats  or  sugges 
tive  warnings  had  any  stimulating  effect  upon  them. 
Nothing  could  move  them  to  tax  their  exhausted 
energies.  We  all  knew  before  we  began  our  labors 
that  Lee's  army  was  not  contemplating  any  movement 
against  Rappahannock  Station,  and  it  was  no  surprise 
that  work  on  the  pits  ceased  at  daylight,  when  we 
were  called  into  camp.  We  already  knew  that  Lee 
was  in  the  Valley. 

"  The  entire  day  of  the  I4th  was  spent  in  camp  and 
at  9  o'clock  at  night  marching  orders  were  received. 
To  the  squad  of  men  who  had  spent  the  whole  of  the 
previous  night  on  fatigue  duty,  the  prospect  of  an 
all-night  march  was  not  pleasant  to  contemplate. 
However  we  joined  the  columns  and  with  the  rest  of 
the  corps  moved  up  the  railroad  in  the  direction  of 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  105 

Manassas  Junction.  The  aggravating  halts  to  cross 
sloughs  and  brooks  in  single  file,  the  hurrying  to  close 
the  gaps  thus  made  in  the  line,  the  roughness  of  the 
road,  cut  in  many  places  through  the  thick  scrub 
growth,  beside  the  railroad  bed,  caused  the  weary 
hours  of  the  night  to  slip  rapidly  by,  and  the  early 
morning  sun  caught  the  column  but  ten  or  twelve 
miles  on  the  road  and  more  thoroughly  worn  out, 
than  a  twenty-mile  march  by  daylight  would  have 
caused.  We  were  at  least  eight  hours  in  making 
this  distance.  Halting,  stumbling  over  stumps  and 
into  ruts  and  mudholes,  dozing  as  we  walked  in  the 
ranks,  and  awakening  by  bumping  against  the  knap 
sack  of  the  man  ahead. 

"As  daylight  appeared  and  the  sun  rose,  and  the 
column  still  trudged  on  with  no  apparent  intention 
of  halting,  the  dusty,  exhausted  ranks  sent  up  the 
shout  of  '  Coffee !  coffee ! '  which  passed  along  the 
column  until  it  finally  convinced  the  leader  thereof 
that  the  earnest  demand  for  refreshment  should  be 
heeded.  About  7  o'clock,  when  the  heat  had  already 
become  unbearable,  .we  turned  into  a  field  by  the 
side  of  a  clear  stream  near  Warrenton  Junction  or 
Catlett's  Station,  stacked  arms,  refreshed  ourselves 
with  a  good  wash,  cooked  coffee,  and  stretching 
shelter  tents  to  protect  us  from  the  broiling  rays  of 
the  June  sun,  we  were  all  soon  asleep. 

"At  noon  the  march  was  resumed  and  taking  the 
railroad  track  moved  toward  Bristoe  Station  and 
Manassas  Junction.  But  oh!  the  sultriness  of  that 


106  NEW  JERSE  Y  TROOPS 

long  afternoon !  The  parched  lips  that  gasped  for 
water!  The  dozens  of  men  overcome  by  the  heat 
who  dropped  down  by  the  wayside,  especially  in  the 
long  stretches  of  treeless  and  breezeless  plantations 
that  the  column  was  compelled  to  cross !  Of  the 
Seventh  Regiment,  comprising  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  officers  and  men,  there  certainly  were  not  twenty- 
five  who  followed  the  Colonel's  horse  into  bivouac 
at  Manassas  Junction,  when  the  command  halted 
there  at  nine  o'clock  on  the  night  of  the  fifteenth  of 
June.  But  the  stragglers  came  in  as  fast  as  their 
strength  could  carry  them,  and  by  morning  all  were 
ready  for  another  start  except  the  dozen  or  so  made 
sick  by  the  heat  and  march  of  the  day  before. 

u  This  exhaustive  ordeal  was  followed  by  two  nights 
of  good  rest,  and  on  the  seventeenth,  refreshed  and 
buoyant,  a  change  in  the  temperature  also  favoring  us, 
we  went  along  at  a  swinging  gait  across  Bull  Run,  over 
the  battle  ground  of  '61,  up  the  heights  of  Centre ville, 
where  we  halted  and  rested  another  day.  On  the  nine 
teenth  we  marched  across  Fairfax  County  toward  the 
mountains  in  the  distance.  That  day  the  column  kept 
well  together.  There  was  no  straggling  and  no 
annoyances  from  dust  or  heat. 

"  Hooker's  manceuvering  of  his  army  was  occasioned 
by  his  lack  of  knowledge  of  Lee's  intentions,  based 
upon  the  supposition  that  Washington  was  Lee's 
objective  point,  and  to  keep  his  army  between  Lee  and 
Washington  ready  to  be  interposed  upon  any  route  of 
approach  to  that  city  which  the  enemy  might  select. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  107 

Thus  it  was  that  we  first  covered  the  fords  of  the 
upper  Rappahannock,  and  now  at  Gum  Spring,  where 
we  went  into  camp  on  the  evening  of  the  nineteenth, 
the  passes  to  the  Valley  were  fully  masked,  while 
Hooker  in  his  headquarters  at  Fairfax  Court  House, 
received  hourly  intelligence  from  the  cavalry  outposts 
in  the  gaps  of  the  movements  of  the  Confederate  army 
through  the  Valley. 

"  The  signal  stations  at  Aldie,  Goose  Creek  and  Fair 
fax  Court  House  formed  an  unbroken  chain.  The 
Seventh  New  Jersey  was  detached  from  the  brigade  to 
guard  the  signal  station  from  bushwackers,  or  Moseby's 
guerillas,  who,  we  were  all  well  aware,  were  all  around 
us  in  their  peaceful  homes  in  the  garb  of  honest  farmers, 
and  innocent  of  all  hostile  intent,  as  long  as  we  were  in 
force  among  them  and  on  the  alert.  From  the  rocky 
promontory  at  Goose  Creek,  on  which  the  signal 
station  was  placed,  there  was  spread  out  below  us  the 
Valley  of  the  Potomac,  Leesburg,  Edward's  Ferry  and 
the  mountains  in  the  distance.  It  was  a  beautiful  pros 
pect  and  thoroughly  appreciated  by  the  men  of  the 
Seventh  who  had  been  for  two  years  shut  up  in  the 
pine  woods  and  lowlands  of  Virginia.'' 


CHAPTER  VII. 

HOOKER'S  PERPLEXITIES  AGGRAVATED — A  DASHING  CAV 
ALRY  EXPLOIT — LEE'S  ARMY  IN  PENNSYLVANIA — 
THE  UNION  FORCES  CROSS  THE  POTOMAC — STUART'S 
RAID— GENERAL  HOOKER  RESIGNS. 

THE  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  daily  undergoing 
serious  depletion  by  the  withdrawal  of  large  num 
bers  of  the  nine  months'  regiments  owing  to  the 
expiration  of  their  terms  of  service.  To  supply  their 
places  General  Hooker  made  urgent  appeals  to  the 
government  for  reinforcements,  but  he  was  only  par 
tially  successful.  Stannard's  Vermont  Brigade,  a  nine 
months'  command,  was  ordered  to  him  and  assigned  to 
Doubleday's  division  of  the  First  Corps,  Lockwood's 
Maryland  Brigade  was  ordered  to  the  Twelfth  Corps, 
and  Crawford's  Pennsylvania  Reserves  at  Alexandria 
were  also  directed  to  be  sent  to  him.  Stahl's  division 
of  cavalry,  six  thousand  strong,  were  added  to  the 
Cavalry  Corps.  The  hysterical  cries  of  inaction  which 
poured  down  upon  Hooker,  while  he  did  not  permit 
them  to  influence  his  actions,  did  produce  a  marked 
effect  upon  the  government,  and  the  administration 
without  giving  him  credit  for  any  sagacity  whatever 
found  much  fault  with  him,  and  at  the  same  time  would 


COLONEL  HENRY  W.  BROWN, 

Colonel  Com'd'g3d  Regt.  N.  J.  Vols.,  Inf. 

(From  a  War-time  Photograph .) 


THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  \\\ 


not  give  him  the  help  he  needed.  His  suggestions 
were  treated  as  of  little  account.  In  the  very  begin 
ning  of  the  campaign  when  he  had  proposed  to  attack 
Hill  at  Fredericksburg  and  get  between  Lee  and  Rich 
mond,  the  President  wrote  to  him : 

"  If  you  find  Lee  coming  to  the  north  of  the  Rappa- 
hannock,  I  would  by  no  means  cross  to  the  south  of  it. 
In  one  word,  I  would  not  take  any  risk  of  being  entan 
gled  upon  the  river  like  an  ox  jumped  half  over  a  fence, 
liable  to  be  torn  by  dogs  front  and  rear,  without  a  fair 
chance  to  gore  one  way  or  kick  the  other" 

Later,  on  June  10,  the  President  wrote: 

"  Lee's  army  and  not  Richmond  is  your  true  objective 
point.  If  he  comes  toward  the  upper  Potomac,  follow 
on  his  flank  on  the  inside  track,  shortening  your  lines 
while  he  lengthens  his.  Fight  him  when  opportunity 
offers.  If  he  stays  where  he  is  fret  him  and  fret  him." 

Yet,  when  General  Hooker  sent  for  Crawford's  Penn 
sylvania  Reserves  to  join  his  army,  which  had  been 
ordered  to  him,  the  Military  Governor  of  Alexandria, 
where  the  brigade  was  stationed,  detained  them  there 
in  defiance  of  Hooker's  order,  and  was  sustained  by 
General  Halleck  in  this  act  of  insubordination.*  There 
were  in  the  immediate  defences  of  Washington  a 
large  body  of  troops  under  Generals  Heintzelman  and 
Schenck,  and  General  Hooker's  suggestion  that  they 
be  sent  to  the  front  where  they  could  be  of  direct 
service  against  the  enemy,  was  refused.  A  request 

*Comte  de  Paris. 


112  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

by  General  Hooker  to  General  Heintzelman  that  the 
latter  send  a  force  of  two  thousand  men  from  Pooles- 
ville,  Md.,  to  the  passes  of  South  Mountain,  and  thus 
aid  in  keeping  Lee's  column  still  further  to  the  west, 
was  likewise  refused  on  the  ground  that  the  passes 
were  not  part  of  the  Defences  of  Washington.  Hooker 
was  certainly  in  an  unenviable  position. 

Pleasonton's  cavalry  performed  the  serviceable  task 
of  "fretting"  Stuart — forcing  him  to  combat  wherever 
he  could  find  him.  A  brilliant  passage  at  arms  between 
the  troopers  of  these  rival  chieftains  took  place  at 
Upperville  on  June  2ist.  Gregg's  division  engaged  the 
enemy  in  front,  while  Buford  swept  entirely  around 
their  flank  and  threw  his  whole  line  of  battle  upon 
their  weakest  point.  Chaplain  Pyne  thus  describes 
the  scene : 

"  Every  field  was  the  scene  of  a  sanguinary  contest, 
and  every  stone  wall  was  made  a  fresh  line  of  defence. 
On  one  occasion  a  regiment  of  rebels  pouring  into  a 
field  commenced  forming  line  behind  a  wall,  as  the 
Eighth  Illinois  were  forming  on  the  other  side  of  it. 
The  race  for  first  formation  was  one  for  life  and  death  ; 
and  the  eager  horses  came  bounding  into  their  places 
with  a  speed  that  partook  of  desperation.  At  length 
the  Illinois  regiment  opened  a  deadly  fire  from  their 
carbines.  The  rebels  gallantly  attempted  a  reply  but 
the  effort  was  too  much  for  their  failing  endurance. 
Breaking  in  disorder,  they  were  chased  by  Buford's 
exulting  men,  leaving  twenty  men  stone  dead  in  that 
short  minute  of  fire.  From  that  moment  there  was  no 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


longer  a  pretence  at  resistance.  At  full  gallop  the 
enemy  hurried  into  and  through  Ashby's  Gap,  leaving 
nearly  all  their  wounded,  a  crowd  of  prisoners,  two 
guns,  and  several  colors  in  our  hands  as  trophies  of  the 
victory.  The  Confederate  cavalry  had  lost  its  prestige 
forever." 

Pleasonton  at  once  started  to  rejoin  the  army,  and  this 
movement  was  interpreted  as  a  retreat  by  the  enemy. 
The  First  New  Jersey  Cavalry  covered  the  rear,  and 
though  followed  by  the  rebels  in  a  spiritless  manner 
no  encounters  of  any  moment  took  place.  On  one 
occasion  when  the  cavalry  had  almost  reached  the  limit 
of  their  day's  march,  the  enemy  opened  upon  them 
with  artillery,  a  piece  of  shell  striking  Louis  Vande- 
grift,  of  Company  D,  First  New  Jersey,  fatally  wound 
ing  him.  Orders  had  been  received  to  fall  back  when 
Vandegrift  was  hit,  but  before  vacating  the  ground 
his  comrades  concealed  his  body  in  a  corner  of  the 
fence.  After  the  line  halted  for  the  night  five  volun 
teers  rode  back  to  the  spot,  and  while  four  of  them 
faced  the  enemy,  the  other  one  dismounted  and  placed 
the  body  on  his  horse.  Thus  guarded  the  five  gallant 
fellows  rejoined  their  commands  and  Vandegrift  was 
given  a  soldier's  burial.  This  was  the  only  casualty 
in  the  course  of  the  movement. 

The  retrograde  movement  of  Pleasonton  convinced 
Lee  that  Hooker  would  not  engage  him  in  battle 
south  of  the  Potomac,  and  he  accordingly  gave  the 
order  for  the  long  contemplated  invasion.  On  the 
22d  of  June,  Ewell  crossed  the  Potomac  river  and 
8 


114  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

Jenkins  with  his  cavalry  brigade  was  ordered  forward 
to  Chambersburg,  which  place  Rodes  and  Johnson's 
divisions  reached  the  next  day,  Early's  division  taking 
the  road  to  York  by  way  of  Gettysburg.  Jenkins 
left  Chambersburg  on  the  arrival  of  these  troops  and 
proceeded  toward  Harrisburg,  which  place  Ewell  had 
been  directed  to  take  possession  of  if  possible.  On 
the  23d,  Lee  having  been  apprised  of  Pleasonton's 
retreat  ordered  the  corps  of  Longstreet  and  Hill  to 
cross  the  Potomac,  the  former  at  Williamsport,  the 
latter  at  Shepherdstown,  which  was  consummated  on 
the  24th  and  25th,  both  forces  uniting  at  Hagerstown, 
in  support  of  Swell's  advance.  On  the  2;th,  two- 
thirds  of  Lee's  army  was  massed  near  Chambersburg, 
with  Ewell  proceeding  on  his  northern  mission. 

General  Hooker  was  apprised  of  Ewell's  advance 
on  the  23d  and  on  the  25th  had  knowledge  of  the 
proposed  movement  of  the  two  remaining  corps,  and 
being  now  fully  satisfied  that  Washington  was  safe 
from  a  surprise  movement  by  Lee  gave  orders  for  the 
advance  of  his  army  on  a  line  parallel  to  that  of  the 
enemy,  taking  the  east  side  of  the  South  Mountain. 
On  the  26th  the  Twelfth  Corps  crossed  the  Potomac 
at  Edwards'  Ferry,  with  orders  to  proceed  to  Harper's 
Ferry,  and  act  in  conjunction  with  the  forces  there 
against  Lee's  communications  with  Richmond,  and 
follow  up  his  rear  through  the  Cumberland  Valley. 
The  rest  of  the  army  proceeded  on  the  line  as  marked 
out,  the  First  Corps  halting  at  Middletown  on  the 
2;th,  the  Second  at  Barnesville,  the  Third  at  Middle- 


LIEUT.-COL.  CHARLKS  EVVING, 

Major  Com'd'g4th  Regt.  N.  J.  Vols.,  Inf. 

(Fran  a  War-time  Photograph,) 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  \\>j 

town,  the  Fifth  at  Ballinger's  Creek,  the  Sixth  bring 
ing  up  the  rear  at  Poolesville.  The  Twelfth  Corps 
reached  Knoxville,  three  miles  from  Harper's  Ferry 
on  its  special  errand.  The  First  New  Jersey  Cavalry, 
which  covered  the  rear  of  the  army,  was  the  last  body 
of  troops  to  cross  the  river. 

Lee  was  kept  in  entire  ignorance  of  Hooker's 
prompt  action,  by  the  absence  of  Stuart  with  his 
cavalry,  who,  \vith  the  permission  of  his  chief,  had 
started  to  make  a  circuit  of  the  Union  army.  Stuart's 
intention  was  to  turn  the  left  flank  of  Hooker,  and 
delay,  if  not  prevent  his  crossing  of  the  Potomac 
river.  This  raid,  so  full  of  discomfiture,  disappoint 
ment  and  vexation,  absolutely  barren  of  any  important 
result,  was  of  great  value  to  the  Union  cause. 
Leaving  behind  him  the  brigades  of  Jones  and 
Robertson,  who  were  to  keep  close  watch  of  the 
Union  army  and  follow  its  movements,  Stuart  on  the 
night  of  June  24th  set  off  on  his  famous  raid.  Moving 
in  a  southerly  direction  he  encountered  the  Second 
Corps  at  Haymarket,  which  compelled  him  to  make 
a  wide  detour  to  conceal  his  movement,  and  on  the 
27th,  when  Lee's  troops  were  near  Chambersburg  and 
Hooker's  army  had  all  crossed  the  Potomac  and  were 
far  away  in  Maryland,  his  two  columns  were  at 
Burke's  and  Fairfax  Stations.  Following  in  the  rear 
of  the  Union  army  he  reached  Drainesville  on  the 
day  the  Sixth  Corps  left  it,  and  discovered  the 
important  fact  that  Hooker  instead  of  waiting  to  have 
his  flank  turned  had  moved  off,  Stuart  did  not  know 


1 1 8  NE  IV  fER SE  Y  TR OOPS 

where.  Under  the  impression  however  that  the 
Union  troops  were  marching  in  force  toward  Lees- 
burg,  he,  with  great  difficulty,  crossed  the  Potomac 
near  Drainesville,  intending  to  rejoin  Lee  by  marching 
through  Maryland.  He  was  simply  following  in  the 
rear  of  Hooker's  army,  who  had  two  days  the  start 
of  him. 

Ignorant  of  the  ridiculous  position  he  was  in,  his 
troopers  began  to  pick  up  small  detachments  of  Union 
soldiers,  capturing  wagon  trains,  creating  a  panic 
among  teamsters,  and  committing  depredations  almost 
within  sight  of  the  Capital.  On  his  northward  march 
he  did  considerable  damage  to  railroad  tracks  and 
bridges,  and  burdened  himself  with  a  long  train  of 
captured  wagons,  filled  with  supplies  of  all  kinds,  and 
with  which  he  was  anxious  to  get  to  Lee's  lines.  But 
he  was  ignorant  of  its  whereabouts,  and  on  the  2Qth 
moved  toward  Westminster,  where  he  was  confronted 
by  a  squadron  of  Union  cavalry,  who  stoutly  contested 
his  advance,  and  inflicted  considerable  loss  upon  him 
before  they  gave  way.  On  the  3Oth  Stuart  started  for 
Hanover,  hoping  to  find  Early  there  or  to  get  some 
information  as  to  his  whereabouts,  but  as  he  ascended 
the  small  hills  overlooking  the  town,  to  his  dismay  he 
saw  a  column  of  Union  cavalry  marching  through  the 
place,  going  north.  Here  was  a  dilemma.  Retreat 
was  out  of  the  question,  and  as  he  seemed  to  be  sur 
rounded  by  enemies  in  whatever  direction  he  moved, 
he  determined,  with  becoming  audacity,  to  attack 
Kilpatrick's  column,  and  gain  possession  of  the  Gettys- 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  119 

burg  Road.  His  encounter  with  Kilpatrick,  at  first 
successful,  was  turned  into  defeat  by  the  timely  arrival 
of  reinforcements,  and  taking  a  more  easterly  route  he 
marched  his  men  all  night  long,  arriving  in  Dover  on 
the  morning  of  the  first,  only  to  learn  that  Early  had 
occupied  all  that  territory  but  had  departed  suddenly. 
Moving  on  the  afternoon  of  the  ist  of  July  to  Carlisle 
he  encountered  General  W.  F.  Smith's  troops  from 
Harrisburg,  who  had  taken  possession  of  the  town,  and 
remaining  only  long  enough  to  demand  its  surrender 
under  threat  of  bombardment  he  started  for  Gettys 
burg  where  he  arrived  on  the  afternoon  of  the  2d  of 
July,  and  greeted  his  chief  for  the  first  time  in  seven 
days.  His  men  were  worn  out  and  exhausted  after 
their  long,  arduous  and  fatiguing  journey. 

In  thus  digressing  to  follow  Stuart  in  his  erratic 
movement  and  bewildering  surprises,  the  regular 
course  of  events  with  the  main  bodies  of  troops  have 
been  interrupted.  The  orders  for  the  Union  army  for 
June  28th  directed  the  First  Corps  to  Frederick  City, 
the  Second  to  Monocacy  Junction,  the  Third  to 
Woodsboro,  the  Sixth  to  Hyattstown,  the  Eleventh 
to  Middletown,  and  the  Twelfth  to  Frederick  City. 
The  contemplated  movement  on  the  rear  of  Lee's 
army  was  thus  abandoned,  by  the  refusal  of  General 
Halleck  to  permit  the  troops  at  Harper's  Ferry  to  be 
placed  under  Hooker's  control  and  that  officer  resigned 
his  command,  which  was  promptly  accepted. 

It  is  very  evident  that  the  removal  of  General 
Hooker  was  a  subject  that  had  for  some  time  been 


120  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

in  contemplation  by  the  government.  He  was  delib 
erately  refused  every  important  thing  he  asked  for, 
and  realizing  that  without  the  active  support  and 
cooperation  of  the  government,  the  army  would  be 
crippled  in  an  encounter  with  the  enemy,  he  promptly 
resigned.  The  feeling  of  the  government  as  it  existed 
toward  Hooker  is  fully  explained  in  the  following 
extract  from  Mr.  Elaine's  "  Twenty  Years  in  Con 
gress  "  : 

"  The  indispensable  requisite  to  Union  success  was  a 
commander  for  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  in  whose 
competency  the  administration,  the  people,  and  most  of 
all  the  soldiers,  would  have  confidence.  In  the  judg 
ment  of  military  men  it  was  idle  to  entrust  another 
battle  to  the  generalship  of  Hooker,  and  as  the  army 
moved  across  Maryland,  General  Hooker  was  relieved 
and  the  command  of  the  army  assigned  to  General 
George  G.  Meade." 

General  Hooker  would  evidently  have  been  relieved 
had  he  not  resigned,  but  it  was  clearly  a  mistake  to 
have  retained  him  so  long  in  command  without  giving 
him  the  support  and  cooperation  he  deserved.  His 
request  for  the  utilization  of  the  forces  at  Harper's 
Ferry  was  refused.  General  Meade  was  permitted  to 
use  them  without  a  murmur.  The  Pennsylvania 
Reserves,  refused  to  Hooker,  joined  Meade  on  the 
march.  In  fact  Meade,  whose  competency  to  com 
mand  had  yet  to  be  proved,  who  had  yet  to  win  the 
confidence  of  the  soldiers  as  a  leader,  was  to  be  as 
strenuously  upheld  in  all  his  acts  as  Hooker  had  been 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG   CAMPAIGN.  12 1 

repressed.  The  difficulty  of  choosing-  a  successor  to 
Hooker  had  for  some  time  been  a  source  of  trouble  to 
the  Secretary  of  War,  and  it  is  related  that  when  the 
messenger  whom  Secretary  Stanton  had  sent  with  the 
order  putting  Meade  in  command  of  the  army, 
returned,  the  Secretary  was  impressed  with  the  great 
fact  that  General  Meade,  while  he  had  no  desire  to 
succeed  to  the  command  of  the  army,  made  no  com 
ment  on  the  removal  of  Hooker.  This  may  or  may 
not  be  true,  but  General  Meade  very  wisely  made  no 
change  in  the  personal  staff,  retaining  that  of  General 
Hooker's  as  his  own. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  ALARM  IN  THE  NORTH — NEW  JERSEY'S  GOVERNOR 
APPEALS  TO  THE  PRESIDENT — THE  NEW  UNION 
COMMANDER — MOVEMENTS  OF  THE  ARMIES— REMI- 
NISCENSES  OF  AN  OFFICER  OF  THE  SECOND  NEW 
JERSEY  BRIGADE— THE  THIRTEENTH  NEW  JERSEY 
AT  LITTLESTOWN  —  THE  NIGHT  BEFORE  THE 
BATTLE. 

r  I  AHE  alarm  which  prevailed  in  Pennsylvania  when 
X  Jenkins  made  his  raid  of  the  i/th  subsided  on  his 
return  to  Williamsport,  only  to  break  out  afresh 
and  with  increased  anxiety  when  the  forward  movement 
of  Lee's  army  began  in  earnest.  The  Twenty-third  New 
Jersey  Regiment  had  returned  home  and  on  the  2/th 
of  June  was  mustered  out;  the  Twenty-Seventh  Regi-. 
ment  remained  until  the  26th  of  June  when  it  left 
Harrisburg  for  Newark,  where  it  was  mustered  out  on 
July  2d ;  the  militia  under  Captain  Murphy  had 
received  orders  from  Governor  Parker  to  return,  but 
the  changed  situation  caused  him  to  remain  until  all 
danger  was  over.  With  Longstreet  and  Hill  at  Cham- 
bersburg,  Ewell  with  two  divisions  at  Carlisle  while 
Early  was  moving  toward  York,  destroying  the 


BVT.  MAJOR-GEN.  WILLIAM  J.  SEWELL, 

Colonel  Com'd'g  5th  Regt.  N.  J.  Vols.,  Inf. 

(From  Photograph  Since  the  H'ar.) 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


Northern  Central  railroad,  and  levying  contributions 
on  the  people,  and  Jenkins  with  a  large  cavalry  force 
moving  directly  on  Harrisburg,  the  invasion  assumed 
immense  proportions. 

The  finest  agricultural  region  of  the  North  lay  at  the 
mercy  of  the  rebel  army.  If  Lee's  horses  laughed  and 
his  men  became  merry  at  the  bounteous  plenty  which 
surrounded  them  they  met  their  Bartholomew  a  few 
days  later.  The  tendency  to  pillage  and  destroy  was 
great,  and  many  unnecessary  burdens  were  placed 
upon  these  peaceful  people  ;  but  Avar  is  a  terrible, 
earnest  thing,  and  General  Lee  endeavored  to  mitigate 
its  severities  by  issuing  strict  orders  as  to  the  manner 
in  which  supplies  should  be  taken.  If  the  revengeful 
spirits  of  his  men  overcame  their  respect  for  their 
commander's  instructions,  that  was  a  matter  beyond 
his  immediate  control. 

Governor  Curtin  called  anew  for  troops  and  issued  a 
proclamation  for  the  raising  of  sixty  thousand  men. 
Vain  call.  There  were  no  arms  with  which  to  supply 
so  large  an  army  except  old  flint  locks  and  shot-guns, 
and  the  time  was  short  for  the  proper  organizing  of 
such  a  host.  But  some  came.  New  York,  West 
Virginia  and  Philadelphia  responded,  and  additional 
appeals  were  made  to  New  Jersey  for  aid.  The 
attempt  to  muster  into  the  United  States  service  all  the 
troops  which  had  volunteered  for  the  emergency, 
seemed  to  Governor  Parker  a  serious  thing,  as  it  would 
take  from  his  control  the  militia  of  the  State  then 
serving  in  Pennsylvania,  and  his  own  fears  that  New 


I25  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

Jersey  was  imperilled  led  him  to  telegraph  to  Presi 
dent  Lincoln  direct  as  follows  : 

EXECUTIVE  CHAMBER,         ) 
TRENTON,  June  29,  1863.  j 

To  the  President  of  the  United  States  : 

The  people  of  New  Jersey  are  apprehensive  that  the 
invasion  of  the  enemy  may  extend  to  her  soil.  We 
think  that  the  enemy  should  be  driven  from  Pennsyl 
vania.  There  is  now  certainly  a  great  apathy  under 
such  fearful  circumstances.  That  apathy  should  be 
removed.  The  people  of  New  Jersey  want  McClellan 
at  the  head  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  If  that  can 
not  be  done,  then  we  ask  that  he  may  be  put  at  the 
head  of  the  New  Jersey,  New  York  and  Pennsylvania 
troops  now  in  Pennsylvania  defending  these  middle 
States  from  invasion.  If  either  appointment  be  made 
the  people  will  rise  en  masse. 

I  feel  it  my  duty,  respectfully,  to  communicate  this 
state  of  feeling  to  you. 

JOEL  PARKER. 

The  President  replied  as  follows  : 

WASHINGTON,  June  30,  1863. 
To  Governor  Parker : 

Your  dispatch  of  yesterday  received.  I  really  think 
the  attitude  of  the  enemy's  army  in  Pennsylvania 
presents  us  the  best  opportunity  we  have  had  since  the 
war  begun. 

I  think  you  will  not  see  the  foe  in  New  Jersey. 

I    beg  you  to  be  assured  that  no  one  out   of   my 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  127 

position  can  know  so  well,  as  if  he  were  in  it,  the 
difficulties  and  involvements  of  replacing  General 
McClellan  in  command,  and  this  aside  from  any  impu 
tations  upon  him. 

Please  accept  my  sincere  thanks  for  what  you  have 
done  and  are  doing"  to  get  troops  forward. 

A.  LINCOLN. 

The  invasion,  however,  came  to  an  abrupt  and  sud 
den  termination.  On  the  28th  of  June  General  Lee 
had  been  reliably  informed  of  the  presence  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  at  Frederick.  This  was  startling  news, 
as  he  had  supposed  that  that  army  was  still  south  of 
the  Potomac,  held  in  check  by  the  ambitious  and  dar 
ing  Stuart.  He  saw  at  once  that  his  communications 
were  endangered,  and,  as  Hooker  had  predicted,  an 
attack  in  Lee's  rear  would  compel  him  to  turn  back 
and  give  battle,  or  at  least  bring  the  invasion  to  an 
end.  Realizing  the  great  peril  of  his  position  he 
determined  upon  the  no  less  bold  and  audacious  plan 
of  threatening  Baltimore,  and  thus  he  simply  did  what 
General  Meade  was  preparing  to  meet,  though  not 
exactly  in  the  manner  in  which  he  was  compelled  to. 
Lee  at  once  sent  couriers  to  all  his  corps  commanders 
to  concentrate  their  troops  at  Gettysburg,  and  on  the 
29th  the  rebel  columns  headed  southward. 

The  change  of  commanders  in  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  from  General  Hooker  to  General  Meade 
was  effected  quietly  and  with  no  intermission  in  its 
work.  The  march  was  continued  as  though  nothing 


128  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

unusual  had  happened,  but  there  was  a  deep  feeling  of 
regret  at  the  resignation  of  General  Hooker.  The 
frequent  changes  that  had  taken  place  in  the  head  of 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  from  the  time  McClellan 
had  been  relieved  by  order  of  the  President,  had 
almost  destroyed  the  feeling  of  hero  worship  which 
existed  in  its  early  history.  The  army  had  developed 
into  a  self-reliant  body  of  men,  bent  upon  a  certain 
mission  the  success  of  which  outweighed  all  personal 
considerations,  and  its  emotional  nature  though  not 
wholly  destroyed,  had  been  disciplined  into  wholesome 
restraint.  McClellan,  who  organized  the  army,  had 
won  the  affections  of  the  men.  They  followed  him  with 
enthusiasm  through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  the  Penin 
sula  campaign ;  they  hailed  his  return  to  command, 
after  the  defeat  of  Pope,  with  joy  and  gladness,  and 
their  final  parting  with  him  was  like  the  separation  of 
life-long  friends.  Under  any  other  form  of  govern 
ment,  a  change  of  this  nature,  in  the  very  midst  of  an 
active  campaign  and  on  the  eve  of  an  important  mili 
tary  movement,  might  have  led  to  serious  conse 
quences  ;  but  McClellan's  ready  acquiescence  in  the 
orders  of  his  government  had  much  to  do  with  allaying 
personal  feeling  in  so  important  a  matter.  General 
Burnside,  who  succeeded  him,  was  known  to  the  men 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  as  a  patriotic  and  loyal 
man  of  great  personal  bravery,  and  of  commanding 
presence.  His  modesty  of  demeanor,  coupled  with 
his  gallantry  and  bravery,  caused  him  to  be  received 
with  great  cordiality,  and  with  the  same  fidelity  it  had 


IN  THE. GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  129 

shown  toward  McClellan,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
moved  with  Burnside  and  fought  the  disastrous  battle 
of  Fredericksburg,  where  on  Marye's  Heights  it  vainly 
expended  its  force  in  a  succession  of  assaults  which 
stand  unrivalled  evidences  of  soldierly  performance  of 
duty  and  personal  valor.  The  supersedure  of  Burn- 
side  by  Hooker,  who  had  won  the  significant 
cognomen  of  "Fighting  Joe,"  by  many  deeds  of 
daring  in  the  Peninsula,  restored  the  confidence  of  the 
army  which  had  been  seriously  impaired  by  the 
Fredericksburg  disaster.  The  unfortunate  result  of 
the  Chancellorsville  campaign  did  not  destroy  the 
confidence  of  the  army  in  Hooker's  ability,  and  it 
entered  upon  the  Gettysburg  march  with  all  its  old- 
time  ardor  and  spirit.  The  change,  sudden  as  it  was, 
whereby  General  Meade  succeeded  to  the  command  of 
the  army,  caused  only  a  momentary  feeling  of  regret 
to  pass  through  the  ranks.  Hooker  was  beloved, 
Meade  was  little  known,  except  as  the  commander  of 
one  of  the  best  corps  in  the  army.  This  fact  reconciled 
the  troops  at  once  to  his  appointment.  He  had  never 
won  distinction,  or  made  himself  conspicuous,  as  had 
Hooker  or  Kearny  "or  Hancock;  but  his  qualifications, 
so  greatly  the  reverse  of  those  which  made  them  thus 
prominent,  stamped  him  as  a  man  of  sterling  worth ; 
his  personal  bravery  was  undisputed,  and  his  heart 
was  in  full  sympathy  with  the  government.  The 
characteristics  of  the  several  corps  commanders  were 
discussed  frequently  on  a  march,  and  they  were 
generally  "  sized  up  "  with  great  accuracy.  It  was  the 
9 


130  NEW  JERSEY  TROOfS 

prevalent  belief  that  Meade  was  a  "  safe  "  man,  but  not 
a  brilliant  or  inspiriting  commander.  The  army  was 
willing  to  take  him  on  trial. 

General  Meade's  first  action  on  assuming  command 
was  to  recall  General  Slocum  and  the  Twelfth  Corps, 
from  its  special  mission  in  cooperation  with  the  forces 
of  General  French  at  Harper's  Ferry,  and  to  order  the 
latter  to  occupy  Frederick  when  the  army  advanced. 
As  strong  evidence  that  General  Hooker's  removal 
had  been  contemplated  for  some  time  past,  the  action 
of  General  Halleck  is  significant.  His  first  dispatch 
to  the  new  commander  of  the  army,  placed  under  his 
control,  with  unlimited  power,  not  only  the  troops  of 
General  French,  which  were  refused  to  Hooker,  but 
also  the  forces  of  Generals  Schenck  and  Couch.  For 
the  first  time  in  its  history  the  commander  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  was  such  in  fact  as  well  as  in  name. 

The  responsibilities  of  General  Meade  were  great 
and  he  realized  it.  Retaining  the  personal  staff  of 
General  Hooker  as  his  own,  he  thus  came  into  the 
possession  of  information  which  was  of  great  assistance 
to  him,  but  he  was  still  ignorant  of  the  intentions  of 
Lee.  Having  abandoned  Hooker's  idea  of  attacking 
Lee  on  the  line  of  his  communications  with  Richmond, 
he  so  disposed  his  forces  as  to  interpose  them  between 
the  rebel  army  and  the  cities  of  Philadelphia,  Baltimore 
and  Washington,  should  Lee  attempt  an  advance  on 
either  place.  His  orders  to  the  several  corps  com 
manders  for  the  29th  of  June  were  for  the  First  and 
Eleventh  Corps  to  move  to  Emmetsburg  ;  the  Third 


COLONEL  GEORGE  C.  BURLING, 

6th  Regt.  N.  J.  Vols.,  Inf.,  Commanding  zd  N.  J.  Brig.  (3d 

Brig.,  2d  Div.,  3d  Corps. 
(From  a  Photograph  after  the  War.) 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  133 

and  Twelfth  to  Taneytown;  the  Second  to  Uniontown; 
the  Fifth  to  Liberty,  and  the  Sixth  to  New  Windsor. 
The  orders  to  the  cavalry  were  for  Butord  to  guard 
the  left  flank  of  the  army  by  moving  toward  Fairfieid, 
Gregg's  division  to  protect  the  right  flank  at  New 
Windsor,  while  Kilpatrick  was  to  cover  the  centre  by 
an  advance  to  Littlestown.  The  army  moved  in  three 
columns,  the  First  and  Eleventh  Corps  forming  the 
left,  the  Third  and  Twelfth  Corps  the  centre,  and  the 
Second,  Fifth  and  Sixth  Corps  the  right  columns. 

The  country  through  which  the  army  was  now 
passing  teemed  with  a  loyal  and  patriotic  people.  The 
presence  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  greeted 
with  every  manifestation  of  delight.  To  men  who  had 
spent  the  greater  part  of  their  soldier  life  in  the  pine 
forests  of  Virginia,  where  population  was  sparse,  and 
what  there  was  of  it  hostile  to  the  cause  they  repre 
sented,  and  whose  professed  loyalty  to  the  government 
was  in  most  cases  a  subterfuge  to  secure  protection  for 
their  property,  the  change  to  the  open  country  of 
Western  Maryland,  and  among  a  people  who  showed 
by  their  demeanor  that  they  were  friends  to  the  Union 
cause,  was  exceedingly  gratifying.  An  officer  of  the 
Second  New  Jersey  Brigade  in  a  letter  to  the  author 
thus  details  his  recollections  of  events  on  this  march, 
the  correctness  of  which  every  soldier  in  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  at  that  time,  will  verify  : 

"  On  the  25th  of  June  the  Second  Brigade  crossed 
the  Potomac  river  at  Edward's  Ferry,  marched  rapidly 
up  the  tow-path  of  the  Ohio  and  Chesapeake  canal, 


134  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

which  here  followed  the  course  of  the  river,  and 
bivouacked  where  night  overtook  us — on  the  bank  of 
the  stream.  The  marching  was  rapid,  no  rests  were 
taken,  and  every  man  seemed  to  be  left  to  himself  to 
plod  along  as  well  as  possible.  When  night  came  on 
every  man  halted  where  he  was,  picked  out  a  good 
spot  for  his  night's  rest  and  without  any  formality 
spread  his  blankets  and  soon  fell  into  a  deep  and 
refreshing  sleep.  The  bank  of  the  river,  for  ten  or 
fifteen  miles,  was  lined  with  straggling  regiments.  No 
details  for  picket  or  guard  were  made,  the  canal  on 
one  side  and  the  bank  of  the  river  on  the  other  preclud 
ing  the  necessity  for  sentries,  and  abandoning  them 
selves  wholly  to  the  novelty  of  the  situation,  all  were 
soon  wrapped  in  deep  slumber.  The  next  morning 
witnessed  a  grand  scurrying  along  of  ten  thousand 
lost  warriors,  eager  to  join  their  colors  lest  'absence 
without  leave'  might  be  scored  against  them.  Officers 
and  enlisted  men  were  all  in  the  same  list,  and  it  was 
impossible  to  say  whether  colonels  and  brigadier-gen 
erals  had  lost  their  commands,  or  regiments  and  bri 
gades  had  lost  their  commanders.  It  was  an  open 
question  and  has  never  been  settled.  Nevertheless, 
as  the  sun  mounted  up  into  the  sky  there  was  a  mys 
terious  gravitating  of  the  units  of  military  commands 
into  their  proper  bodies,  and  a  gradual  augmenting 
of  companies,  regiments  and  brigades  as  the  minutes 
and  hours  flew  by,  so  that  by  the  middle  of  the  fore 
noon  we  were  once  more  pushing  along  in  solid 
columns  and  with  no  straggling.  We  crossed  the 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG   CAMPAIGN.  135 

Monocacy  river  on  the  canal  aqueduct,  took  the  road 
for  Point  of  Rocks,  climbed  up  the  hills,  in  a  sheltered 
depression  on  the  north  side  of  which  we  bivouacked 
for  the  night. 

"  The  next  day  we  marched  northward  through  the 
beautiful  valley  to  Middletown,  then  turned  eastward 
over  the  mountains  by  the  pike  to  Frederick  City, 
stripping  the  cherry  trees  on  every  hand  and  enjoying 
a  royal  feast  of  that  delicious  fruit  which  abounded  in 
profusion  and  perfection  just  at  that  time.  Here  it  was 
that  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  first  realized  what  it 
was  to  march  through  a  country  inhabited  by  a  loyal 
and  patriotic  people.  Our  progress  was  an  ovation  of 
cheering,  sympathetic,  grateful  greetings  from  a  happy, 
peaceful  populace,  unscathed  by  the  devastation  of 
war.  The  cherry  trees  were  the  only  property  of  the 
farmers  of  Maryland  that  the  toil-worn,  hungry  veter 
ans  were  permitted  to  depredate  upon,  and  they  were 
stripped  clean  by  the  fortunate  divisions  of  the  army 
that  chanced  to  be  in  the  van. 

"  The  welcoming  demonstrations  of  the  people  of 
Maryland  aroused  great  enthusiasm  in  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  The  profuse  display  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes 
from  almost  every  house,  the  waving  of  handkerchiefs, 
and  the  smiles  of  fair  ladies,  the  hearty  hospitality  as 
exhibited  by  the  generous  distribution  of  biscuits, 
milk,  pies,  cakes,  and  chickens,  hastily  cooked,  to  the 
appreciative  soldiers  was  a  revelation  to  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  all  the  more  astounding  because  of  its 
contrast  with  the  reception  of  the  Massachusetts 


136  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

troops  two  years  before  in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  and 
the  well-tested  disloyalty  of  that  city  and  southern 
Maryland  in  the  intervening  years.  The  rivers  of 
fresh  milk  that  poured  down  the  throats  of  the  fifty 
thousand  veterans  of  the  army  in  those  two  or  three 
days  cannot  be  computed  in  gallons  or  in  value,  and 
it  was  all  the  more  refreshing  and  grateful  because  it 
was  a  generous  gift  from  the  farmers  to  their  defend 
ers.  That  night  we  encamped  on  the  north  side  of 
Frederick,  after  passing  through  that  city  amid  the 
waving  of  innumberable  flags  and  the  cheering  of  the 
delighted  populace.  The  next  morning  came  the 
thunderbolt  into  camp  which  announced  the  resigna 
tion  of  the  gallant  fighter  and  beloved  commander  of 
our  old  division,  Joe  Hooker,  and  the  appointment  of 
General  Meade  as  his  successor. 

"  On  June  2Qth  we  marched  north  toward  Taney- 
town,  the  residence  of  the  late  Chief  Justice  of  the 
United  States,  who  rendered  the  famous  Dred  Scott 
decision,  one  of  the  fire-brands  that  helped  to  kindle 
the  flames  of  rebellion.  We  also  passed  the  home  of 
Philip  Barton  Key,  who  was  killed  by  our  corps  com 
mander  General  Daniel  E.  Sickles,  in  Washington 
several  years  before  the  war,  both  being  members  of 
Congress  at  the  time." 

The  demonstrations  of  welcome  which  greeted  every 
corps  of  the  army  acted  as  an  inspiration  upon  the 
men.  Fatigue  was  forgotten,  and  the  one  all-pervading 
desire  was  to  meet  the  rebel  army  while  it  was  on 
northern  soil.  As  the  column  of  Meade's  army  reached 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  137 

northward,  all  unconscious  of  the  direct  approach  of 
Lee  southward,  the  rebel  chieftain  was  likewise  mov 
ing  without  any  knowledge  of  the  whereabouts  of 
Meade,  whom  he  still  supposed  to  be  forty  miles  or 
more  away,  at  Frederick  and  vicinity.  The  orders 
General  Meade  gave  for  his  army  brought  them  in  the 
following  position  on  the  3Oth  of  June :  The  First 
Corps  at  Marsh  Run,  the  Third  at  Bridgeport,  the 
Fifth  at  Union  Mills,  the  Sixth  at  Manchester,  the 
Twelfth  at  Littlestown.  The  Second  Corps  remained 
at  Uniontown  and  the  Eleventh  at  Emmetsburg,  while 
the  cavalry  was  operating  on  the  flanks  of  the  army, 
Kilpatrick  encountering  Stuart  at  Hanover,  while 
Buford  was  scouting  about  the  mountains  near  Fair- 
field,  Gregg  covering  the  extreme  right  by  moving  on 
Manchester.  In  accordance  with  General  Meade's 
instructions,  a  portion  of  General  French's  command 
took  position  at  Frederick  City. 

The  advance  of  the  Twelfth  Corps  from  Taneytown 
to  Littlestown  on  the  3Oth  of  June  brought  the 
Thirteenth  New  Jersey  Regiment  to  the  front,  their 
position  for  the  day  being  the  extreme  right  of  the 
line.  The  march  was  void  of  incident  until  within 
about  a  mile  of  Littlestown  when  the  column  halted, 
owing  to  a  report  from  Kilpatrick's  cavalry  that  a 
large  cavalry  force  of  the  enemy  was  near  the  town. 
The  presence  along  the  road  of  a  large  number  of  able- 
bodied  citizens,  who  had  left  Littlestown,  was  a  source 
of  much  comment  and  no  little  amusement  to  the 
veterans,  and  as  they  loaded  muskets  preparatory  to  a 


138  \I<:W  JERSEY  TROOPS 

possible  encounter  with  the  enemy,  the  non-combatants 
expressed  doubt  of  the  ability  of  the  Arrny  of  the 
Potomac  to  cope  with  the  rebel  forces.  Moving- 
forward  at  a  rapid  gait  the  Third  Brigade  of  the 
Twelfth  Corps  reached  the  outskirts  of  Littlestown, 
and  three  regiments  of  the  brigade  with  Winegar's 
battery  went  on  a  double  quick  through  the  town  and 
to  the  fields  beyond. 

The  approach  of  the  Union  army  was  hailed  with 
joy  by  the  people  of  Littlestown  who  heartily 
welcomed  them  by  furnishing  the  soldiers  with 
abundant  supplies  of  food.  To  the  tired  army  this 
generous  hospitality  was  appreciated,  and  when  at 
night  the  Thirteenth  Regiment  with  the  First  Division 
of  the  Twelfth  Corps  went  into  camp  on  the  farms  of 
Spangler  and  Le  Fevre  on  the  McSherrystown  road, 
they  felt  it  no  hardship  to  obey  the  strange  and  before 
unheard-of  order  :  "  No  rail  fences  are  to  be  disturbed 
and  no  rails  burned  for  any  purpose  whatever." 
This  order  was  religiously  obeyed,  and  the  people  of 
Littlestown  to  this  day  bear  testimony  to  that  fact. 
These  incidents  gave  strong  indication  of  near 
approach  to  the  enemy,  and  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
was  on  the  alert  and  ready. 

At  Harrisburg  General  Couch  had  succeeded  in 
getting  a  few  thousand  militia  organized  and  with 
General  W.  F.  Smith  kept  close  watch  of  the  enemy's 
movements,  reporting  to  Washington  the  information 
thus  obtained.  By  this  means  General  Meade  was 
kept  informed  as  to  the  progress  Lee  was  making,  and 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


139 


on  the  3Oth  had  received  notification  of  the  withdrawal 
of  Ewell's  forces.  When  Ewell  received  orders  from 
Lee  to  return  at  once  to  Carlisle,  he  had  disposed  his 
forces  for  the  purpose  of  advancing  upon  and  captur 
ing  Harrisburg,  and  as  he  moved  backward  General 
Smith,  with  such  cavalry  as  he  could  muster,  closely 
followed  him.  Ewell  had  no  sooner  left  Carlisle  for 
Harrisburg  than  General  Smith  occupied  the  place, 
and  when  Stuart  a  short  time  after  came  to  the  town 
in  search  of  Ewell,  after  his  long  and  exhaustive  ride, 
he  found  the  Union  forces  in  possession. 

General  Lee's  orders  to  his  army  were  for  Heth's 
division  with  eight  batteries  of  artillery,  followed  by 
Fender's  division,  with  Hood  and  McLaws  en  echelon 
behind  him  to  march  to  Gettysburg.  Swell's  division 
was  scattered,  Johnson's  division  was  sent  to  Green 
wood,  and  he  was  greatly  delayed  in  rejoining  his 
command.  This  was  the  situation  on  the  night  of 
the  30th  of  June. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  FIRST  DAY'S  FIGHT  AT  GETTYSBURG—  GALLANTRY 
OF  BUFORD'S  TROOPERS—  HEROIC  RESISTANCE  BY 
THE  FIRST  ARMY  CORPS  —  DEATH  OF  GENERAL 
REYNOLDS  —  ARRIVAL  OF  HOWARD  AND  THE 
RETREAT  TO  CEMETERY  RIDGE  —  HANCOCK'S  OP 
PORTUNE  ARRIVAL  ON  THE  FIELD. 


ETTYSBURG  !  The  terrible  three  days'  con- 
flict  on  the  heights  surrounding  this  little  town, 
from  the  masterly  and  heroic  achievements  of 
Buford's  cavalry  and  the  First  Army  Corps  at  Wil- 
loughby  Run,  to  the  spectacular  and  brilliant  charge  by 
Pickett's  Virginians  of  Longstreet's  corps  on  the  third 
day  of  July,  has  been  a  theme  of  controversy  among 
the  chief  participants  and  inspired  the  pens  of  the  most 
gifted  writers  to  a  description  in  detail  of  all  the 
momentous  events  which  there  happened.  Swinton, 
in  his  admirable  "  History  of  the  Army  of  the  Poto 
mac,"  gives  a  critical  review  of  the  battle  ;  Doubleday, 
who  commanded  the  First  Corps,  after  the  lamentable 
death  of  Reynolds,  in  its  desperate  struggle  with 
superior  numbers  of  the  enemy,  has  written  a  graphic 
and  unvarnished  account  of  that  magnificent  engage 
ment  ;  Walker  in  his  "History  of  the  Second  Army 


COLONEL  Louis  R.  FRANCINE, 

7th  Regt.  N.  J.  Vols.,  Inf. 
(From  a  War-time  Photograph— -1863.) 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  143 

Corps"  pays  a  glowing  tribute  to  the  men  who  com 
posed  that  gallant  body  of  soldiers,  and  Longstreet 
has  given  his  version  of  the  battle  from  his  knowledge 
of  Lee's  plans,  and  in  vindication  of  his  own  course, 
which  has  opened  a  controversy  along  the  southern 
line  of  the  argument  that  seems  to  grow  more  aggres 
sive  with  time.  The  Comte  de  Paris,  from  the  stand 
point  of  an  impartial  and  disinterested  observer,  has 
furnished  the  most  complete  and  thorough  record  of 
the  battle,  and  his  unbiassed  views  on  all  the  disputed 
questions  which  have  arisen  will  be  accepted  as  being 
nearer  correct  and  just  than  those  of  interested  contro 
versialists.  To  the  mind  of  the  layman,  these  points  of 
dispute  are  of  little  account.  The  advent  of  the  rebel 
army  to  the  close  proximity  of  Harrisburg ;  the  great 
destruction  it  did  do  and  was  capable  of  doing;  the 
doubt  and  uncertainty  which  prevailed  as  to  the  ability 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  to  repel  the  invasion  and 
drive  the  southern  army  back  to  its  own  soil,  these 
were  the  questions  of  great  concern  then.  The  fact 
that  the  invasion  was  stayed  and  the  Union  arms 
victorious  over  an  exulting  foe,  is  sufficient  cause  for 
satisfaction  now,  and  the  army  which  accomplished  it 
is  deserving  the  admiration  of  mankind. 

If  there  be  such  a  thing  as  chance  in  the  affairs  of 
nations,  good  fortune  had  certainly  smiled  upon  the 
preliminary  movements  of  the  Army  of  the  Poto 
mac.  The  Quixotic  raid  of  Stuart,  whose  long  absence 
lured  the  rebel  commander  into  a  belief  that  his  prin 
cipal  antagonist  was  unable  or  unwilling  to  follow  him, 


144  NEW  JERSE  Y  TROOPS 

was  the  first  of  a  series  of  fortunate  blunders  which 
contributed  to  the  success  of  the  Union  army. 

As  has  been  already  noticed  General  Lee  had 
ordered  the  concentration  of  his  army  at  Gettysburg, 
for  the  double  purpose  of  protecting  his  own  line  of 
communications,  and  being  in  position  to  threaten  the 
cities  of  Baltimore  and  Washington.  He  Avas  thus 
contemplating  just  such  a  move  as  General  Meade  had 
been  preparing  for,  and  both  Generals  were  desirous 
of  fighting  on  a  defensive  line.  Lee  hoped  by  manceuv- 
ering  to  compel  Meade  to  attack  him,  and  under  the 
impression  that  the  Union  army  was  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  Frederick,  the  movement  of  his  army  toward 
Gettysburg  was  conducted  in  a  leisurely  and  confident 
manner.  When  General  Meade  gave  orders  for  Rey 
nolds  with  the  left  wing  of  the  army  to  occupy  Gettys 
burg  on  the  first  of  July,  he  was  also  in  ignorance  as 
to  the  whereabouts  of  Lee,  or  what  his  intentions  were, 
and  when,  later  in  the  day,  on  the  soth,  he  received 
information  from  General  Halleck  that  the  rebels  were 
moving  southward,  he  resolved  to  take  up  a  defensive 
position  on  the  line  of  Pipe  Creek,  toward  which  the 
army  was  to  fall  back  should  they  encounter  the  enemy 
in  great  numbers.  He  was  still  unaware  of  the  close 
proximity  of  the  rebel  army  and  did  not  change  his 
orders  for  the  day.  Thus  both  armies  were  moving 
simultaneously  toward  a  common  centre  neither  of 
them  dreaming  that  the  bloodiest  drama  of  the  war 
was  about  to  be  enacted  at  the  very  place  each  desired 
to  occupy. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


Gettysburg  is  the  county  seat  of  Adams  County, 
and  from  it  many  roads  radiate  in  all  directions  like 
spokes  from  a  hub.  At  the  north  of  the  town  the 
three  roads,  known  as  the  Harrisburg,  Carlisle  and 
Mummasburg  roads,  all  concentrate,  while  the  York 
and  Bonaughtown  roads  join  at  the  east.  On  the 
western  border  the  Chambersburg  and  Fairfield  roads 
unite,  while  on  the  south  the  Emmetsburg,  Taneytown 


HANOVER 
"SYKES 
TTLESTOM/N 


POSITION  OF  BOTH  ARMIES  ON  THE  MORNING  OF  JULY  I. 
UNION,  WHITE  J    REBELS,  BLACK. 

and  Baltimore  roads,  on  all  of  which  the  Union  army 
was  marching,  converge.  Both  armies  were  surely 
but  gradually  coming  together,  and  the  well-matured 
plans  of  the  Union  commander  were  to  be  overruled. 
The  topography  of  the  country  about  Gettysburg 
was  admirably  adapted  for  a  battle-field  and  the  many 
eminences  afforded  splendid  opportunities  for  effec- 


10 


JERSE  Y  TROOPS 


tive  artillery  display.  It  is  very  evident  General 
Meade,  though  a  Pennsylvanian,  did  not  have  any 
personal  knowledge  of  the  natural  advantages  the 
country  about  Gettysburg  afforded  for  military  opera 
tions. 

General  Meade  was  fortunate  in  having  able  and 
experienced  corps  commanders  to  assist  him  in  this 
trying  emergency.  The  cavalry  arm  of  the  service 
Avas  well  officered  and  ably  commanded,  by  men  who 
had  all  been  tried  in  desperate  encounters  with  the 
enemy,  and  they  were  nerved  to  any  ordeal  that 
might  present  itself,  while,  as  for  the  troopers  them 
selves,  they  had  measured  sabres  with  their  opponents 
and  did  not  fear  them,  and  as  will  be  seen  in  the 
pursuit  of  this  narrative,  they  boldly  and  spiritedly 
resisted  the  infantry  columns  of  the  enemy,  and  with 
marked  effect.  Watchful,  sleepless,  Pleasonton's 
cavalry  seemed  to  be  everywhere  and  always  just 
where  it  was  most  needed.  On  the  28th  of  June,  the 
day  that  Meade  took  command,  Gregg's  division  was 
on  the  right  of  the  army,  Buford  guarding  the  left 
flank,  while  Kilpatrick  covered  the  centre.  Buford 
had  sent  Merritt's  brigade  of  Regulars  to  Mechanics- 
town,  southeast  of  Emmetsburg,  while  he  accompanied 
the  brigades  of  Gamble  and  Devens,  on  a  spirited 
reconnoissance  down  the  west  slope  of  South  Mountain. 
On  the  following  day  he  moved  up  the  valley  north 
ward  to  Waynesboro,  recrossed  the  mountain  range, 
and  at  night  halted  on  the  Fairfield  road  along  which, 
in  the  distance,  he  saw  the  fires  of  Davis'  brigade  of 


BVT.  MAJOR-GEN.  JOHN  RAMSEY, 

Colonel  Com'd'g  8th  Regt.  N.  J.  Vols. 

(From  a  War-time  Photograph?) 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  149 

Heth's  rebel  division  of  Hill's  corps.  At  break  of  day 
on  the  30th  he  dashed  into  the  presence  of  the  enemy, 
who  retreated  northward  after  exchanging  a  few  shots, 
and  satisfied  of  his  inability  to  successfully  cope  with 
them,  returned  to  Emmetsburg  where  he  reported  to 
Reynolds  the  events  which  had  transpired.  That 
officer  having  received  orders  for  the  left  wing  of  the 
army  to  proceed  to  Gettysburg  the  next  day,  ordered 
Buford  to  take  immediate  possession  of  the  town,  and 
hold  it  until  the  arrival  of  the  First  Corps. 

This  important  duty  could  not  have  been  entrusted 
to  a  better  or  more  capable  man.  Buford  had  distin 
guished  himself  in  many  previous  engagements  with 
the  rebel  cavalry,  but  his  stubborn  resistance  to  the 
infantry  columns  of  Lee's  veterans  on  the  first  day  of 
July,  was  an  exhibition  of  daring  and  skillful  general 
ship  which  entitles  him  to  rank  with  the  bravest  and 
best  of  those  who  fought  so  desperately  and  well  on 
that  memorable  field. 

The  encounter  with  Buford's  cavalry  on  the  Fair- 
field  road  did  not  seem  to  produce  any  special  excite 
ment  in  the  rebel  lines,  as  on  the  3Oth  of  June  when 
Heth's  division  reached  Cashtown,  he  dispatched  Petti- 
grew's  brigade,  with  a  large  wagon  train,  to  Gettys 
burg  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  requisition  on  the 
town  for  shoes  and  clothing.  Pettigrew  was  about 
entering  the  town,  when  Buford  came  thundering 
along  with  his  four  thousand  troopers,  and  the  rebel 
scouts  had  barely  time  to  notify  Pettigrew  of  his 
approach,  and  thus  enable  that  officer  to  fall  back  to  a 


150  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

safe  position  on  Marsh  Creek.  Halting^  his  column 
there,  Pettigrew  notified  Heth  of  the  occupancy  of  the 
town  by  the  Union  cavalry.  General-  Buford  did  not 
attempt  to  follow  up  Pettigrew,  but  took  position  on 
the  west  and  north  of  the  town,  posting  videttes  far 
ahead  on  all  the  roads  that  were  intersected  by  his 
line.  Buford  knew  that  the  rebel  army  was  close  by 
and  he  anticipated  a  desperate  and  a  serious  struggle. 
He  at  once  notified  Meade  and  Reynolds  of  the  dispo 
sition  he  had  made  of  his  forces,  and  calmly  awaited 
the  advance  of  the  enemy's  infantry. 

At  an  early  hour  on  the  morning  of  July  ist  Heth's 
division  moved  from  Cashtown  toward  Gettysburg, 
and  gathering  up  Pettigrew's  division  marched  for 
ward  rapidly,  anticipating  nothing  more  serious  than 
a  brush  with  militia.  But  their  first  encounter  with 
Buford's  brave  cavalrymen  who  had  been  posted  in 
the  most  advantageous  manner  along  Willoughby  Run, 
amazed  them.  Buford  stoutly  contested  every  inch 
of  ground,  and  held  the  advancing  columns  in  check. 
Indeed,  the  numerical  strength  of  the  enemy  was  so 
great  that  by  a  persistent  advance  they  could  have 
swept  Buford's  forces  away,  but  the  ignorance  which 
prevailed  throughout  the  whole  rebel  army  as  to  the 
whereabouts  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  caused  them 
to  move  with  caution.  The  Union  cavalry  made  so 
determined  and  stubborn  a  resistance,  however,  that 
Heth  supposed  he  had  encountered  a  strong  body  of 
infantry.  Reinforcing  his  line  he  again  advanced,  and 
Buford  putting  in  his  last  reserve,  and  personally 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  151 

directing  the  fire  of  his  artillery,  prolonged  the  strug 
gle  until  the  troops  of  Reynolds  came  in  sight. 

When  Buford  saw  the  desperate  conflict  his  men 
were  waging  against  superior  numbers  he  doubted  his 
ability  to  hold  the  position  a  great  while  longer,  and 
started  for  the  seminary  building  to  get  a  view,  if 
possible,  of  the  First  Corps.  He  was  quickly  apprised 
of  its  approach  by  the  appearance  of  General  Rey 
nolds  himself,  who  had  galloped  forward  in  advance 
of  his  troops  as  soon  as  he  heard  the  booming  of 
Buford's  guns.  The  cavalry  had  made  a  gallant  and 
glorious  fight,  and  the  check  the  rebel  advance  had 
received  saved  to  the  Union  army  the  line  of  hills 
south  of  the  town  on  which  the  decisive  battle  was 
finally  fought. 

When  the  sound  of  conflict  reached  the  ears  of 
General  Reynolds,  he  lost  no  time  in  hurrying  forward 
his  men.  Giving  orders  to  prepare  for  immediate 
action  he  started  off  on  a  gallop  to  find  Buford,  on  a 
ride  that  would  have  been  immortalized  in  verse  had 
the  drama,  in  which  he  was  so  prominent  a  figure,  not 
assumed  proportions  of  such  great  magnitude.  The 
regiment  in  the  advance  of  the  First  Corps  that  day, 
was  the  Ninety-fifth  New  York,  Colonel  George  H. 
Biddle.  In  its  ranks  were  a  goodly  number  of  New 
Jersey  boys,  mostly  from  the  city  of  Newark,  whose 
patriotism  had  exercised  so  controlling  an  influence 
over  their  emotions  that  they  went  into  New  York 
city  and  enrolled  themselves  in  the  first  regiment 
.  which  took  their  fancy.  While,  therefore,  no  distinct- 


152  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

ively  New  Jersey  regiment  was  engaged  in  the  first 
day's  battle  at  Gettysburg,  the  State  was  most  nobly 
represented  by  more  than  a  score  of  brave  fellows, 
"  natives  all  and  to  the  manner  born." 

The  march  to  the  scene  of  action  was  an  inspiriting 
sight.  General  Reynolds  was  one  of  the  ablest  and 
best  known  of  all  the  corps  commanders.  Possessing 
rare  personal  courage,  coupled  with  military  ability 
and  skill  of  a  high  order,  he  was  well  adapted  to 
initiate  the  great  battle  about  to  take  place.  A  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  he  was  incensed  at  the  presence  of 
the  rebel  army  there,  and  was  anxious  to  engage  them 
in  battle  at  the  very  earliest  opportunity.  His  men 
were  all  infected  with  the  same  spirit,  and  they  moved 
to  the  sound  of  Buford's  artillery  with  that  steady, 
quickened  motion  which  betokened  confidence  and 
gave  evidence  of  the  desperate  earnestness  which  so 
distinguished  them  a  few  hours  later.  The  Comte 
de  Paris  in  describing  the  spirit  which  animated  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  says  : 

"  The  Federal  soldiers  and  their  leaders  are  fired  by 
extraordinary  zeal ;  like  Antaeus,  who  gathered  new 
strength  whenever  he  touched  the  earth,  it  seems  that 
the  idea  of  fighting  on  the  soil  of  the  free  States,  in  the 
midst  of  a  friendly  population  threatened  with,  a 
terrible  invasion,  doubles  their  energy  and  their 
activity.  The  hesitations,  the  delays,  and  the  frequent 
discouragements  which  seemed  to  paralyze  the  best 
conceived  plans  in  Virginia,  have  given  place  to  a 
noble  emulation  which  urges  them  to  dispute  with 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  153 

each  other  the  honor  of  dealing  the  swiftest  and 
heaviest  blows  to  the  enemy.  Without  taking  any 
account  of  their  numbers,  Reynolds  himself  notwith 
standing  the  immense  responsibility  weighing  upon 
him,  gives  them  an  example  of  this  zeal  by  contributing 
more  than  any  one  else  to  inspire  them  with  it.  Sad 
and  dejected,  it  is  said,  before  the  meeting  of  the  two 
armies,  he  has  become  invigorated  as  soon  as  he  felt  his 
proximity  to  the  adversaries  with  whom  he  desired  to 
come  to  blows  since  the  opening  of  the  campaign." 

Buford  and  Reynolds  ascended  to  the  cupola  of  the 
Lutheran  Seminary  from  which  an  extended  view  of 
the  country  for  miles  around  was  obtained.  Wads- 
worth's  division  of  the  First  Corps  was  observed 
moving  with  rapid  strides  toward  the  sound  of  battle 
and  it  was  seen  to  move  to  the  left  without  entering 
the  town,  and  advance  up  the  easterly  slope  of 
Seminary  Hill.  Wadsworth's  command  consisted  of 
two  brigades  under  Generals  Cutler  and  Meredith  and 
as  they  moved  to  position  an  aide  of  General  Howard 
made  his  appearance  and  asked  for  instructions  for  the 
Eleventh  Corps.  General  Reynolds  directed  that 
General  Howard  bring  his  corps  forward  at  once  and 
"  form  them  on  Cemetery  Hill  as  a  reserve,"  *  and 

*  General  Howard  has  no  recollection  of  having  received  any  such 
orders,  but  as  he  did  get  orders  to  come  forward,  and  as  his  corps  was 
to  occupy  some  place  in  rear,  as  a  support  to  the  First  Corps,  nothing 
is  more  probable  than  that  General  Reynolds  directed  him  to  go  there; 
for  its  military  advantages  were  obvious  enough  to  any  experienced 
commander.  Lieutenant  Rosengarten,  of  General  Reynolds'  staff, 


NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


then   accompanied    Waclsworth    to    place   his    men   in 
position. 

The  place  chosen  for  the  battle-ground  was  on  the 
west  side  of  the  town  along  the  course  of  the  stream 
known  as  Willoughby  Run,  its  course  at  this  point 
being  almost  due  north  and  south.  The  Chambersburg 
and  Fairfield  roads  both  cross  the  stream,  and  uniting 
near  the  town  form  an  angle  of  considerable  extent. 
These  roads  also  cross  two  elevations  of  ground,  or 
ridges,  running  parallel  with  the  stream,  the  one 
further  west  from  the  town  being  the  scene  of  the  first 
day's  fighting.  On  the  heights  nearest  the  town  is 
situated  the  Theological  Seminary,  from  which  the 
ridge  derives  its  name.  The  steeple  of  this  building 
was  used  by  the  commanders  of  both  armies  as  an 
observatory.  The  rebels  were  advancing  on  the 
Chambersburg  road  in  strong  numbers  when  Wads- 
worth  arrived,  and  Reynolds  in  person  posted  the 
Second  Maine  Battery  in  the  road,  and  threw  forward 
the  Fourteenth  Brooklyn,  Colonel  Fowler,  and  the 
Ninety-fifth  New  York,  Colonel  Biddle,  (both  under 


states  positively  that  he  was  present  and  heard  the  order  given  for 
Howard  to  post  his  troops  on  Cemetery  Ridge.  The  matter  is  of  some 
moment,  as  the  position  in  question  ultimately  gave  us  the  victory, 
and  Howard  received  the  thanks  of  Congress  for  selecting  it.  It  is 
not  to  be  supposed  that  either  Howard  or  Rosengarten  would  misstate 
the  matter.  It  is  quite  possible  that-  Reynolds  chose  the  hill  simply 
as  a  position  upon  which  his  force  could  rally  if  driven  back,  and 
Howard  selected  it  as  a  suitable  battle-field  for  the  army.  It  has  since 
been  universally  conceded  that  it  was  admirably  adapted  for  that 
purpose. — Donbleday. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


155 


Fowler's  command,)  in  advance  on  the  left,  the  other 
three  regiments  of  the  brigade — One  Hundred  and 
Forty-seventh  New  York,  Seventy-sixth  New  York, 
and  Fifty-sixth  Pennsylvania — being  placed  in  line  on 
the  right  of  the  road.  Gamble's  brigade  of  cavalry 
were  withdrawn  and  formed  in  column  on  the  left  of 
the  infantry,  Deven's  brigade,  further  to  the  right 


ADVANCE    OF    DAVIS'    AND    ARCHER'S    REBEL   BRIGADES. 
UNION,  BLACK  ;    REBELS,  WHITE. 

facing  north,  still  awaiting  the  approach  of  the  enemy 
from  that  direction. 

The  battle  which  was  here  waged  with  persistent 
fury,  was  a  fitting  prelude  to  the  desperate  conflict 
which  succeeded  it,  and  but  for  the  gallant  resistance 
made  by  the  veterans  of  the  First  Corps  in  this  initia 
tory  contest,  the  admirable  position  on  the  hills  south 
of  Gettysburg  'would  undoubtedly  have  been  lost  to 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  Both  armies  thus  con- 


I  56  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

fronted  each  other,  and  were  coming  closer  together 
in  such  manner  that  a  conflict  was  inevitable.  To 
hold  the  enemy  in  check  until  the  rest  of  the  army 
could  arrive  and  take  position  on  the  ridge  in  rear  of 
the  town,  the  admirable  advantages  of  which  had  pre 
sented  themselves  to  both  Buford  and  Reynolds,  was 
the  imperative  duty  of  the  First  Army  Corps.  How 
well  they  succeeded,  how  desperately  they  fought, 
how  tenaciously  they  held  their  ground  against  over 
whelming  numbers,  relinquishing  it  only  when  over 
powered,  is  graphically  related  by  Doubleday. 

The  army  of  General  Lee  was  close  at  hand.  Hill's 
whole  corps  was  available  for  immediate  action.  Ewell 
was  advancing  from  the  north,  with  his  entire  com 
mand  except  Johnson's  division,  and  the  small  body  of 
men  posted  to  contest  their  advance  could  have  been 
swept  away  like  leaves  before  the  wind ;  but  the  rebel 
leaders  were  not  anticipating  a  meeting  with  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac.  Ewell  had  passed  through  Gettys 
burg  two  days  before,  at  which  time  no  one  knew  any 
thing  about  Mode's  army,  and  General  Lee  conse 
quently  felt  no  particular  anxiety  concerning  it.  The 
obstructions  so  far  encountered  were  to  his  mind 
"  some  gentlemen  militia,"  who  would  be  ready  to 
depart  as  soon  as  it  became  a  little  warm  for  them. 

Davis'  rebel  brigade,  which  had  been  thrown  for 
ward,  to  clear  the  road,  formed  behind  a  ridge,  and 
was  unperceived  by  Cutler's  men.  When  they 
advanced  into  view  the  left  of  their  line  came  square 
upon  the  right  flank  of  Cutler's  small  force,  which  was 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


157 


compelled  to  fall  back,  and  was  ordered  to  re-form  on 
Seminary  Ridge.  The  Fifty-sixth  Pennsylvania  first 
perceived  the  enemy  and  opened  fire,  but  they  were 
soon  overpowered  and  with  the  Seventy-sixth  New 
York  Regiment  succeeded  in  getting  away,  continuing 
their  retreat  to  the  outskirts  of  the  town  ;  but  the  One 
Hundred  and  Forty-seventh  New  York  Regiment, 
not  receiving  the  order  to  fall  back — its  Colonel  having 


DEFEAT    OF    ARCHER  S    AND    DAVIS     BRIGADES. 

been  killed  before  the  order  could  be  given  —  was 
being  hemmed  in  on  all  sides  and  made  a  desperate 
fight.  As  this  movement  of  Davis'  brigade  also 
uncovered  the  right  flank  of  Colonel  Fowler's  two 
regiments,  while  Archer's  rebel  brigade  was  advanc 
ing  to  envelop  their  left,  they  fell  back  in  good 
order.  Meredith's  "  Iron  Brigade,"  commanded  by 
Colonel  Morrow — its  permanent  commander  having 
been  wounded  by  a  shell— had  been  formed  in  line 


58  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


on  the  west  slope  of  Seminary  Ridge,  and  as  Archer's 
brigade,  preceded  by  skirmishers,  was  advancing  to 
get  possession  of  a  small  wood  between  the  two 
roads,  Colonel  Morrow  was  ordered  by  General 
Doubleday  to  secure  the  position  and  hold  it  at  all 
hazards.  Enthusiastically  they  moved  to  the  task,  the 
Sixth  Missouri  Regiment  being  detached  and  with 
the  headquarter  guard  composed  of  the  One  Hun 
dred  and  Fifty-ninth  Pennsylvania,  forming  a  reserve. 
The  "Iron  Brigade"  was  composed  of  the  Second 
Wisconsin,  Colonel  Lucius  Fairchild  ;  Sixth  Wis 
consin,  Lieutenant  R.  R.  Dawes;  Seventh  Wisconsin, 
Colonel  W.  W.  t Robinson ;  Twenty-fourth  Michigan, 
Colonel  Henry  A.  Morrow;  Nineteenth  Indiana, 
Colonel  Samuel  Williams  —  five  regiments  in  all. 
Advancing  boldly  toward  the  enemy  the  Second  Wis 
consin  enveloped  their  right  flank,  capturing  Archer 
himself  and  more  than  a  thousand  of  his  men.  Sur 
prised  at  this  extraordinary  movement  the  remnant 
oi  Archer's  troops  fled  precipitately,  being  pursued 
to  the  opposite  side  of  Willoughby's  Run  by  the  vic 
torious  Unionists. 

There  was  now  time  to  pay  some  attention  to  the 
attack  on  Cutler,  as  Davis'  men  were  exultant  over 
their  success,  and  were  pursuing  the  flying  regiments 
to  Gettysburg.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Dawes  with  the 
Sixth  Wisconsin,  advanced  against  the  exposed  flank 
of  Davis,  and  Colonel  Fowler  with  the  Fourteenth 
Brooklyn  and  Ninety-fifth  New  York,  joined  forces 
with  him.  Noticing  this  movement  Davis  stopped 


BVT.  MAJOR-GEN.  ROBERT  MCALLISTER, 

Colonel  Com'd'g  nth  N.  J.  Vols.,  Inf. 
(Front  a  Steel  Engraving?) 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG   CAMPAIGN.  161 

his  pursuit  of  Cutler's  men,  and  rushing-  into  the  rail 
road  cut,  where  the  grading  afforded  them  shelter, 
they  made  a  desperate  resistance,  but  they  had  entered 
a  trap.  Fowler  confronted  them  above,  and  Dawes 
opened  a  murderous  fire  upon  them  with  a  section  of 
artillery  which  enfiladed  their  position,  and  he  also 
formed  his  men  across  the  cut,  by  Colonel  Fowler's 
order  to  fire  through  it,  thus  having  them  completely 
at  bay.  The  One  Hundred  and  Forty-seventh  New 
York  was  released  from  its  perilous  position,  and 
two-thirds  of  the  enemy  surrendered,  the  rest  escap 
ing  by  scattering  over  the  country. 

These  brilliant  exploits  were  saddened  by  the  death 
of  General  Reynolds,  who  was  instantly  killed  by  a 
musket  ball  immediately  after  deploying  the  men  of 
Cutler's  brigade.  General  Doubleday  at  once  took 
command  of  the  corps,  and  during  the  respite  occa 
sioned  by  the  inaction  of  the  enemy  re-formed  and 
strengthened  his  lines. 

General  Heth  had  halted  his  column  to  await  the 
result  of  the  action  of  his  two  brigades,  and  the  news 
he  received  was  far  from  encouraging.  Replacing  his 
defeated  and  dispirited  troops  with  the  fresh  men  of 
Pettigrew  and  Brockenborough  supported  by  Fender's 
division,  he  advanced  to  a  renewal  of  the  fight. 

Doubleday  anxiously  awaited  the  arrival  of  his  other 
two  divisions,  Robinson's  and  his  own  commanded 
temporarily  by  General  Rowley.  At  this  time  General 
Howard  had  arrived  upon  the  scene,  having  preceded 
his  corps,  and  noting  the  precipitate  retreat  of  the  two 
ii 


1 62 


NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


regiments .  of  Cutler's  brigade,  magnified  their  dis 
orderly  haste  into  a  rout  of  the  First  Corps,  and  so 
notified  General  Meade.  At  eleven  o'clock  to  the  great 
relief  of  General  Doubleday  the  remainder  of  the  First 
Corps  came  up.  The  enemy  had  established  their  line 
in  a  commanding  position,  and  their  artillery  was 
advantageously  posted,  so  as  to  sweep  the  Chambers- 


SECOND  ADVANCE  OF  HETH's  TROOPS  AGAINST  THE  FIRST  CORPS. 
DOUBLEDAY'S  MAP. 

burg  road.  A  severe  artillery  duel  took  place  at  this 
point,  the  batteries  of  Calef  and  Reynolds  doing 
splendid  execution.  Doubleday  posted  his  troops  in 
the  following  order  to  meet  this  new  attack :  Stone's 
brigade,  of  Rowley's  division,  being  placed  to  the 
right  of  the  woods  occupied  by  Morrow,  and  Colonel 


7Ar  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  163 

Riddle's  brigade  on  the  left,  with  Robinson's  division 
in  reserve  at  the  seminary,  on  the  west  of  which 
Robinson's  men  threw  up  a  semicircular  line  ot  breast 
works,  which  served  an  admirable  purpose  later  on. 

The  battle  which  ensued  was  one  of  the  most 
desperate  of  the  three  days'  contest.  Howard  upon 
receiving-  the  news  of  the  death  of  General  Reynolds, 
assumed  command  of  the  left  wing,  turning  over  the 
command  of  the  Eleventh  Corps  to  General  Schurz, 
General  Barlow  taking  command  of  the  division.  He 
also  notified  General  Meade  of  the  sad  event  and  sent 
orders  to  Sickles  at  Emmetsburg  and  Slocum  at  Two 
Taverns  to  hasten  to  the  field.  Between  twelve  and 
one  o'clock  the  Eleventh  Corps  made  its  appearance  on 
the  scene  of  action  and  the  divisions  of  Schimmel- 
pfennig  and  Barlow  were  orderd  to  the  support  of 
Doubleday,  and  were  directed  to  extend  his  line  to  the 
right,  Steinwehr's  division,  with  the  reserve  artillery 
being  ordered  to  Cemetery  Hill,  as  a  reserve. 

A  new  danger  however  threatened  the  Union  line 
before  these  dispositions  could  be  made.  Buford,  who 
had  been  anxiously  watching  the  road  from  the  north, 
where  Deven's  cavalry  brigade  had  been  posted, 
informed  Doubleday  of  the  approach  of  Swell's  troops 
from  that  direction,  and  Howard  ordered  the'  Eleventh 
Corps  to  change  front  and  keep  Ewell  from  assailing 
the  First  Corps  in  flank.  This  relieved  the  cavalry, 
who  withdrew  and  formed  still  farther  to  the  right. 

The  movements  of  E well's  two  divisions  had  been 


164  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

well  timed  and  both  Rodes  and  Early  came  in  sight  of 
Gettysburg  at  almost  the  same  moment.  Before  their 
exact  whereabouts  were  known  to  the  Union  troops 
Rodes  had  posted  a  battery  on  Oak  Hill,  an  eminence 
to  the  right  of  and  almost  on  a  line  with  that  occupied 
by  the  troops  of  Doubleday.  When  the  Eleventh 
Corps  line  had  been  established  to  meet  Ewell,  it  left  a 
wide  interval  between  the  left  of  Barlow  and  the  right 
of  Cutler's  brigade  of  the  First  Corps,  which  neces 
sitated  the  use  of  all  of  Doubleday 's  reserves,  besides 
attenuating  his  general  line  of  battle. 

Noting  with  satisfaction  the  arrival  of  Ewell  on  the 
right  flank  of  the  Union  line,  Hill  moved  promptly  to 
attack  Doubleday  with  his  whole  force.  Under  cover 
of  the  dense  woods  Rodes  succeeded  in  joining  his 
line  to  that  of  Hill,  while  his  artillery  played  effect 
ively  upon  Doubleday's  guns  on  the  Chambersburg 
road.  Rodes  attacked  Cutler's  right  flank  vigorously. 
Doubleday  proved  equal  to  this  emergency  however. 
He  ordered  Baxter's  brigade  to  fill  the  gap  between 
Cutler  and  the  Eleventh  Corps,  and  as  Baxter  advanced 
boldly  up  the  Mummasburg  road,  Rodes  sent  O'Neal's 
brigade  in  upon  his  flank.  O'Neal  was  repulsed  with 
heavy  loss,  and  Iverson's  rebel  brigade  was  ordered  to 
assail  both  Cutler  and  Baxter.  Doubleday  ordered  in 
another  brigade,  and  Robinson  sent  forward  Paul's 
brigade,  which  took  up  position  with  Baxter.  Double- 
day  had  so  far  held  his  own  against  superior  numbers. 
All  the  positions  south  of  the  Chambersburg  road 


. 

BVT.   COL.    JOHN    SCHOONOVER, 

Adjt.  nth  Regt.  N.  J.  Vols.,  Inf. 

{Front  a  War-time  Photograph^) 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  167 

had  been  retained,  but  the  enemy  was  pressing-  him 
hard  on  the  right.  Iverson's  attack  upon  Robinson's 
two  brigades  failed  and  his  force  was  almost  annihi 
lated,  his  loss  being  heavy  in  killed  and  wounded  and 
over  a  thousand  men  were  taken  prisoners.  Daniel 
came  to  Iverson's  rescue,  but  arrived  too  late,  and  his 
advance  was  checked.  O'Neal,  Iverson  and  Daniel 
were  each  in  turn  defeated,  and  Heth,  who  made 
a  vigorous  demonstration  against  Meredith  was  also 
repulsed.  Growing  desperate  the  rebels  determined 
to  assault  in  force,  and  Ramseur,  who  had  come  up  to 
assist  Daniel,  was  aided  by  the  advance  of  the  three 
brigades  of  Fender's  division,  thus  throwing  upon  the 
weakened,  but  obstinate  Union  line,  a  numerical  force 
that  by  pressure  alone  must  carry  the  position.  Assist 
ance  was  also  coming  to  the  enemy  in  another  shape. 
Early's  entire  division  was  advancing  to  the  front,  and 
they  poured  down  upon  Barlow's  division  in  great 
numbers,  who  resisted  stoutly,  but  were  obliged  to  fall 
back,  leaving  their  wounded  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy, 
the  heroic  Barlow  being  among  them.  Schimmel- 
pfennig  was  attacked  by  Doles'  brigade,  and  retreated 
in  hot  haste,  and  as  this  division  broke  a  general 
retreat  was  ordered  by  Howard.  Schimmelpfennig's 
flight  compelled  Robinson  to  abandon  his  position, 
and  Doubleday  having  used  up  all  his  reserves  was 
at  last  compelled  to  fall  back.  Halting  and  re-form 
ing  his  line  in  the  semi-circular  entrenchment  thrown 
up  by  Robinson's  division  Doubleday,  aided  by  Buford, 


1 68  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

who  formed  his  cavalry  in  line  of  *  battalion  in  mass 
to  keep  open  the  line  of  retreat,  held  the  enemy  in 
check  for  a  short  time. 

The  position  of  the  First  Corps  was  exceedingly 
critical,  and  its  escape  from  annihilation  is  due  to  the 
great  presence  of  mind  and  the  skillful  generalship  of 
General  Doubleday.  As  the  columns  of  retreating 
Unionists  mixed  together  in  the  town,  men  became 
separated  from  their  commands,  thousands  were 
picked  up  by  the  enemy  on  the  streets,  and  the 
roads  leading  to  the  rear  were  thronged  with  a 
motley  crew  of  frightened  and  demoralized  soldiers, 
whom  no  power  seemed  able  to  hold  in  check.f 

A  new  actor  now  appeared  upon  the  scene.  When 
General  Meade,  at  his  headquarters  in  Taneytown, 
received  the  message  from  Howard  that  the  First 
Corps  were  flying  from  the  field,  there  was  forced  upon 
him  the  necessity  of  immediately  deciding  whether  to 

*  General  Francis  A.  Walker  in  his  "History  of  the  Second  Army 
Corps"  relates  this  incident :  "When  last  it  was  my  privilege  to  see 
General  Hancock,  in  November,  1885,  he  pointed  out  to  me  from 
Cemetery  Hill  the  position  occupied  by  Buford  at  this  critical  junct 
ure,  and  assured  me  that,  among  the  most  inspiring  sights  of  his 
military  career  was  the  splendid  spectacle  of  that  gallant  cavalry,  as 
it  stood  there  unshaken  and  undaunted,  in  the  face  of  the  advancing 
Confederate  infantry." 

f  The  Comte  de  Paris  estimates  that  of  the  16,000  men  who  went 
into  action  on  the  Union  side  no  more  than  5,000  were  left  in  fighting 
condition.  The  First  Corps  was  reduced  to  2,450  men.  Out  of  the 
11,000  missing  nearly  4,000  had  been  left  on  the  field  of  battle,  and 
about  5,000  were  taken  prisoners;  the  rest  had  scattered. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  169 

fight  the  battle  where  the  conflict  had  begun  or  adhere 
to  his  original  plan  of  forming  a  line  on  Pipe  Creek. 
Instead  of  going  to  Gettysburg  himself  he  sent  for 
General  Hancock,  who  had  just  arrived  in  Taneytown 
with  the  Second  Corps,  and  appointed  him  to  the  com 
mand  of  the  left  wing,  thus  superseding  both  Howard 
and  Sickles,  who  ranked  him  by  seniority,  and  dele 
gated  to  him  the  practical  selection  of  the  battle-field, 
whether  to  order  up  the  whole  army  to  Gettysburg 
and  there  join  issue  with  the  enemy,  or  to  fall  back  to 
the  position  originally  determined  upon.  When  Han 
cock  arrived  upon  the  scene  the  confusion  of  retreat 
had  not  subsided.  Streams  of  frightened  men  were 
passing  down  the  Taneytown  and  Baltimore  roads  to 
the  rear,  and  the  powerlessness  of  Howard  to  restore 
confidence  to  the  men  was  apparent.  Hancock 
addressed  himself  at  once  to  the  task,  and  his  presence 
was  immediately  felt  by  the  troops.  Brave,  even  to 
rashness,  his  manner  and  bearing  made  their  impress 
felt.  Men,  who  first  thought  only  of  flight,  halted, 
cheered  for  Hancock,  and  sought  their  colors.  His 
presence  was  worth  a  corps  of  men  at  that  moment, 
and,  though  Seminary  Ridge  was  lined  with  rebel 
infantry,  and  Ewell's  troops  were  advancing  through 
the  town  toward  Cemetery  Hill,  Hancock  re-formed 
the  line  with  the  Eleventh  Corps  on  the  right  of  Stein- 
wehr's  fortified  position,  the  First  Corps  on  the  left 
and  all  the  artillery  at  command  posted  in  advan 
tageous  positions,  thus  presenting  a  bold  front  to  the 
victorious  foe.  Noting  the  rising  ground  on  the  right 


NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


—Gulp's  Hill  —  toward  which  Ewell  was  moving,  he 
posted  Wadsworth's  division  there,  and  formed  the 
cavalry  on  the  left  of  Doubleday.  The  transformation 
was  complete.  Order  had  been  restored  out  of  chaos, 
and  as  Lee  and  his.  officers  gazed  upon  this  new  line  of 
battle,  which  had  formed  under  the  very  muzzles  of 
their  guns,  they  mistook  the  deployment  of  this  small 
force  in  a  thin  line  to  the  right  and  left  for  the  arrival 
of  reinforcements,  and  hesitated  to  attack.  Ewell  was 
desirous  of  doing  so,  but  Lee  would  not  imperatively 
order  it,  and  after  a  short  contest  with  Wadsworth's 
men,  the  enemy  halted.  This  was  another  of  the 
blunders  which  aided  the  Union  cause  on  this 
campaign.  Had  Ewell  advanced  at  once,  Gulp's  Hill 
would  have  fallen  into  his  possession  and  he  would 
thus  have  commanded  the  roads  on  which  Meade's 
army  was  then  moving. 

The  enemy  however  had  had  more  fighting  than  they 
expected  to  experience.  Their  losses  had  been  severe, 
and  though  they  had  met  and  defeated  but  two  army 
corps,  the  fact  —  of  which  they  had  at  last  become 
cognizant  —  that  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  in  front 
of  them,  led  to  a  magnifying  of  the  importance  of  their 
victory.  From  prisoners  they  had  no  doubt  learned 
that  Meade's  army  was  well  on  its  way  to  Gettysburg, 
and  as  Lee  had  been  deceived  by  the  show  of  force  on 
Cemetery  Hill,  he  preferred  to  await  the  arrival  of  all 
his  army  before  attacking. 

On  the  morning  of  July  ist  Sickles  had  received 
orders  from  General  Meade  to  fall  back  to  a  position 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  171 

on  the  Pipe  Creek  line  of  battle,  but  learning  subse 
quently  that  the  First  and  Eleventh  Corps,  which  with 
his  own  comprised  the  left  wing  of  the  army,  were 
engaged  with  the  enemy,  he  promptly  moved  toward 
the  sound  of  action.  He  had  resumed  command  of  the 
Third  Corps  only  a  few  days  previous,  and  was 
naturally  anxious  to  meet  the  enemy.  Detaching  De 
Trobriand's  brigade  from  Birney's  division,  and 
Burling's  brigade— composed  of  the  Fifth,  Sixth, 
Seventh  and  Eighth  New  Jersey  Regiments,  the  One 
Hundred  and  Fifteenth  Pennsylvania  and  the  Second 
New  Hampshire — from  Humphreys'  division  with  or 
ders  to  remain  at  Emmetsburg,  he  moved  promptly 
forward  with  Birney's  division,  and  arriving  on  the 
field  was  assigned  to  position  on  the  left  of  the  First 
Corps. 

The  Twelfth  Corps  advanced  from  Littlestown  on 
the  morning  of  July  ist  and  at  noon  halted  at  Two 
Taverns,  about  five  miles  southeast  from  Gettysburg. 
While  here  word  was  received  from  Howard  as  to  the 
engagement  then  in  progress,  and  the  order  to  march 
was  soon  given.  Geary's  division  moved  directly  for 
Gettysburg  by  the  Baltimore  pike,  and  Williams'  divi 
sion,  taking  a  road  leading  to  the  right  advanced 
rapidly  toward  the  sound  of  artillery.  Proceeding 
some  distance,  skirmishers  were  sent  forward,  and  as 
Benner's  Hill  loomed  up  in  their  front  a  body  of  horse 
men  were  seen  on  its  summit  closely  scanning  the 
country  around.  Swell's  scouts  were  soon  encoun 
tered  and  a  few  shots  were  exchanged  when  orders 


172  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

were  received  to  bring  on  no  engagement  at  that 
place.  It  had  been  the  intention  of  General  Williams 
to  take  possession  of  the  hill,  but  as  it  had  become 
known  that  Gettysburg  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy,  the  line  was  withdrawn  and  position  for  the 
night  taken  on  the  east  side  of  Rock  Creek.  The 
Thirteenth  New  Jersey  Regiment  supported  Wine- 
gan's  Battery  ("  M  "  First  New  York)  during  the  night. 
Geary's  division  was  posted  on  the  left  of  the  army, 
his  line  extending  from  the  left  of  Sickles'  line  to  the 
summit  of  Little  Round  Top,  the  Twelfth  Corps  thus 
holding  both  the  right  and  left  flanks  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  on  the  night  of  July  ist.  General 
Slocum  arrived  upon  the  scene  about  half-past  five, 
and  General  Hancock,  in  accordance  with  instructions 
received,  turned  over  the  command  to  him,  and  started 
for  Taneytown  to  report  to  General  Meade. 

Hancock  had  performed  labors  almost  herculean. 
The  very  magnetism  of  his  presence  among  the 
defeated  and  retreating  troops  gave  them  renewed 
confidence  and  courage,  and  when  he  had  assigned 
the  last  body  of  troops  to  their  position  for  the  night, 
and  saw  that  the  force  was  strong  enough  to  resist 
any  attack  that  might  be  made  until  the  rest  of  the 
army  could  be  brought  up,  he  started  on  his  ride  to 
Taneytown.  During  the  afternoon  he  sent  two 
dispatches  to  General  Meade  in  which  he  favored 
the  position  secured  as  the  best  on  which  the  battle 
should  be  fought,  though  the  left  was  liable  to  be 
turned.  On  his  way  to  headquarters  he  halted  the 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


173 


Second  Corps,  commanded  by  General  Gibbons,  which 
he  met  about  three  miles  from  the  battle-field,  as  a 
protection  to  the  left  of  the  line. 

The  line  of  battle  for  the  night  extended  from  the 
rising  ground  east  of  Rock  Creek,  to  Gulp's  Hill, 
to  Cemetery  Hill  and  along  the  ridge  west  of  the 
Taneytown  road  to  the  summit  of  Little  Round  Top. 
The  Fifth  Army  Corps  was  on  its  way  from  Bonaugh- 
town,  and  the  Sixth  Corps  just  entering  Manchester, 
thirty-four  miles  distant,  had  started  on  its  long  march 
for  the  battle-field. 

Among  the  interesting  incidents  of  the  first  day's 
battle  is  the  record  of  John  Burns,  a  resident  of 
Gettysburg.  General  Doubleday  in  his  official  report 
of  the  battle  says :  "  My  thanks  are  specially  due  to 
a  citizen  of  Gettysburg,  named  John  Burns,  who, 
although  over  seventy  years  of  age,  shouldered  his 
musket  and  offered  his  services  to  Colonel  Wister, 
One  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 
Colonel  Wister  advised  him  to  fight  in  the.  woods  as 
there  was  more  shelter  there,  but  he  preferred  to  join 
our  line  of  skirmishers  in  the  open  fields.  When  the 
troops  retired  he  fought  with  the  'Iron  Brigade/ 
He  was  wounded  in  three  places." 


CHAPTER   X. 

THE  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS  COMING  ON  THE  FIELD  OF 
BATTLE  —  RAPID  AND  EXHAUSTIVE  MARCHING  - 
THE  ELEVENTH  REGIMENT  UNDERGO  A  FATIGUING 
NIGHT  MARCH  —  THE  SECOND  NEW  JERSEY  BRI 
GADE  MARCH  BETWEEN  THE  SKIRMISH  LINES  OF 
BOTH  ARMIES  — THE  TWELFTH  REGIMENT  IN  LINE 
OF  BATTLE  — THE  DEPLOYMENT  OF  SICKLES'  LINE 
—THE  THIRTEENTH  REGIMENT  ON  GULP'S  HILL- 
ARRIVAL  OF  THE  FIRST  NEW  JERSEY  BRIGADE  AT 

FOUR  O'CLOCK  —  A  FORCED    MARCH    OF  THIRTY- 
FIVE  'MILES. 

IT  was  nearly  dark  when  General  Hancock  started 
for  the  headquarters  of  the  army  at  Taneytown 
and  reported  to  General  Meade,  whom  he  found 
about  ready  to  proceed  to  Gettysburg,  where  he 
arrived  about  one  o'clock  a.  m.,  on  July  2d.  Hum 
phreys'  division  of  the  Third  Corps  left  Emmetsburg 
for  the  battle-field  at  three  o'clock  a.  m.,  Burling's  bri 
gade  with  De  Trobriand's  brigade  of  Birney's  division 
remaining  behind  to  guard  the  outlet  of  the  moun 
tain  and  watch  the  Hagerstown  road  for  any  move 
ments  of  the  enemy  in  that  direction.  After  a  long 
and  exciting  march  the  division  arrived  on  the  field 


MAJOR  JOHN  T.  HILL, 
Com'd'g  i2th  Regt.  N.  J.  Vols.,  Inf. 
(Front  a  War-time  Photograph  — 1863.) 


THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


at  midnight  and  owing  to  the  darkness  could  not  be 
given  a  place  in  line  and  was  massed  in  rear  of  Bir- 
ney's  division. 

The  Eleventh  New  Jersey  Regiment,  belonging  to 
Carr's  brigade  of  Humphrey's  division,  experienced 
all  the  inconveniences  of  this  march.  They  had  biv 
ouacked  in  a  wheat-field  near  Emmetsburg  when  the 
news  reached  them  that  the  First  and  Eleventh  Corps 
had  met  the  enemy  near  Gettysburg  and  were  being 
driven  back.  Orders  to  press  forward  rapidly  were 
received,  and  soon  the  column  was  in  motion.  On 
crossing  Marsh  Run,  the  troops  took  a  road  to  the 
left,  and  were  marching  toward  Black  Horse  Tavern, 
on  the  Fairfield  road,  which  was  occupied  by  the 
enemy  ;  but  General  Humphrey  discovered,  in  time 
to  conceal  his  presence  from  them,  that  he  was  on  the 
wrong  road,  and  accordingly  caused  the  column  to 
"  about  face"  and  retrace  their  steps.  This  long 
detour  was  a  severe  strain  upon  the  men,  but  without 
further  mishap  they  bivouacked  east  of  the  Emmets- 
burg  road  about  one  a.  m.,  and  was  subsequently 
massed  in  rear  of  Birney  and  facing  west,  the  Eleventh 
New  Jersey  being  next  to  the  last  regiment  in  the  line. 

The  next  New  Jersey  regiment  to  arrive  was  the 
Twelfth,  which  with  the  Second  Corps  had  halted  for 
the  night  about  three  miles  south  of  the  battle-field. 
The  column  moved  at  daylight,  and  was  rejoined  by 
General  Hancock  before  it  reached  the  field,  which 
took  place  about  7  a.  m.,  and  was  placed  in  position  on 
the  left  of  Doubleday's  division  of  the  First  Corps. 

12 


NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


(General  Newton  was  now  in  command  of  the  First 
Corps,  General  Meade  having  assigned  him  there  on 
learning  of  the  death  of  General  Reynolds.)  In  the 
order  of  alignment  Hay's  division  —  to  Smith's  brigade 
of  which  the  Twelfth  New  Jersey  belonged  —  was  on 
the  right,  Gibbons,  the  centre,  and  Caldwell's  division, 
the  left.  This  displaced  the  Third  Corps,  which 
formed  into  column  and  moved  still  further  to  the  left. 
This  movement  so  full  of  momentous  and  important 
results  then  unforeseen,  has  led  to  a  controversy  that 
will  cease  only  when  all  the  actors  have  passed  off  this 
world's  stage.  General  Geary,  who  had  occupied 
Little  Round  Top  on  the  night  of  the  first,  had  been 
ordered  to  the  right  of  the  line,  and  soon  after  day 
break  (5  a.  m.)  vacated  the  position,  which  was  the  vital 
point  of  the  whole  line,  and  to  regain  and  keep  posses 
sion  of  which,  brought  on  one  of  the  most  desperate 
struggles  of  the  whole  war.  Sickles'  orders  were  to 
prolong  the  line  of  the  Second  Corps,  his  left  to  rest 
upon  Little  Round  Top.*  This  is  the  great  bone  of 

*  General  Meade,  in  his  official  report  says  :  "  The  Second  and 
Third  Corps  were  directed  to  occupy  the  continuation  of  the  Cemetery 
ridge  on  the  left  of  the  Eleventh  Corps." 

The  Comte  De  Paris,  in  his  work  on  Gettysburg,  says  : 
"  Between  six  and  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  Meade  sent  his  son 
to  Sickles  with  orders  to  take  the  position  which  Geary  had  just  left. 
The  order  was  most  positive,  and  Meade  has  been  blamed  for  not  hav 
ing   attended   to   the   execution   of   said  order  in   person.     *     * 
When  Colonel  Meade  arrived  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock,  to  ascer 
tain   if   the   order   which   he  had  brought   from   his   father  had   been 
executed,  Sickles  answered  him  that  he  could  not  distinguish  the  posi- 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  179 

contention:  What  were  Meade's  orders  to  Sickles? 
Without  entering  into  the  discussion,  which  has  devel 
oped  a  wonderful  amount  of  misunderstanding,  it  is 
clear  that  General  Sickles  did  not  deem  his  orders  so 
explicit  as  to  prevent  the  exercise  of  his  own  judgment 
in  the  matter. 

The  ridsre  on  which   Sickles  was  directed  to  form 


tion  in  which  he  was  to  replace  Geary.  Nevertheless,  like  an  obedient 
lieutenant,  he  had  not  waited  for  fresh  orders,  to  extend  his  line  to  the 
left,  and  before  nine  o'clock  Birney  was  deploying  Graham's  and 
Ward's  brigades  in  the  direction  of  Little  Round  Top." 

Doubleday  gives  this  version  :  "  Sickles,  however,  denies  that^  any 
position  was  ever  marked  out  for  him.  He  was  expected  to  prolo'ng 
Hancock's  line  to  the  left  but  did  not  do  so  for  the  following  reasons  : 
First,  because  the  ground  was  low,  and  second  on  account  of  the  com 
manding  position  of  the  Emmetsburg  road,  which  ran  along  a  cross 
ridge  oblique  to  the  front  of  the  line  assigned  him,  and  which  afforded 
the  enemy  an  excellent  position  for  their  artillery  ;  third  because  the 
ground  between  the  valley  he  was  expected  to  occupy,  and  the  Emmets- 
burg  road  constituted  a  minor  ridge,  very  much  broken  and  full  of  rocks 
and  trees  which  afforded^excellent  cover  for  an  enemy  operating  in  his 
immediate  front." 

Swinton  in  his  History  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  says  :  "  Sickles 
had  been  instructed  to  take  position  on  the  left  of  Hancock,  on  the 
same  general  line,  which  would  draw  it  along  the  prolongation  of 
Cemetery  Ridge  toward  the  Round  Top.  Now  the  ridge  is,  at  this 
point,  not  very  well  denned;  for  the  ground  in  front  falls  off  into  a  con 
siderable  hollow.  But  at  the  distance  of  some  four  or  five  hundred 
yards  in  advance  it  rises  into  that  intermediate  crest  along  which  runs 
the  Emmetsburg  road.  General  Sickles,  thinking  it  desirable  to  occupy 
this  advanced  position  —  which  he  conceived  would,  if  held  by  the 
enemy,  make  his  own  ground  untenable — assumed  the  responsibility 
of  pushing  his  front  forward  to  that  point." 


l8o  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

descended  into  low  ground  which  extended  for  four  or 
five  hundred  yards  to  Little  Round  Top.  In  his  front 
the  ground  ascended  gradually,  and  on  the  crest  of  this 
rising  ground  ran  the  Emmetsburg  road.  Sickles  first 
formed  his  line  as  directed,  Birney's  left  resting  at  the 
base  of  Little  Round  Top  and  connecting  with 
Humphrey's  division  on  the  right. 

The  Second  New  Jersey  Brigade  (Burling's)  of 
Humphrey's  division  and  De  Trobriand's  brigade  of 
Birney's  division,  which  had  been  left  at  Emmetsburg 
to  guard  the  mountain  passes,  received  orders  at  two 
o'clock  a.  m.  to  rejoin  the  Third  Corps,  and  began  their 
hurried  march.  To  them  also  had  come  the  startling 
intelligence  of  a  battle  at  Gettysburg,  the  death  of 
General  Reynolds,  and  that  the  First  and  Eleventh 
Corps  had  been  driven  back.  At  three  o'clock,  the 
column  was  marching  quietly  and  swiftly  through  the 
streets  of  Emmetsburg.  A  short  halt  was  ordered 
after  a  brisk  march  to  enable  the  men  to  make  coffee. 
The  heat  of  the  day  before,  and  the  sultriness  of  the 
morning,  together  with  the  long  fast  and  the  rapid 
marching  had  well-nigh  exhausted  the  men,  and  the 
prospect  of  a  "  rest "  was  joyously  welcomed.  The 
little  fires  were  soon  blazing  cheerily,  but  before  the 
first  cup  of  water  had  reached  boiling  point,  an  aide 
came  galloping  down  the  road  with  peremptory  orders 
to  push  forward  as  rapidly  as  possible.  Not  a  moment 
was  to  be  lost.  "  Fall  in  !  "  "  Take  arms  !  "  "  Right, 
face  !  "  "  Forward,  march  !  "  rang  out  over  the  field 
from  the  throats  of  regiment  and  company  -com- 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


manders.  There  was  a  speedy  mounting  of  horses,  the 
rumbling  of  artillery  was  heard  on  the  pike,  and  once 
more  the  column  of  Jerseymen  pushed  rapidly  on. 
Crossing  Marsh  Run,  Berdan's  sharpshooters,  who  had 
been  ordered  to  reconnoitre  the  rebel  position,  were 
seen  lying  along  the  fence  in  the  road  and  firing 
occasionally  at  the  enemy's  skirmishers,  in  the  edge  of 
the  strip  of  woods  at  the  west.  The  column  had 
reached  the  Union  line  just  in  time.  Soon  after  the 
brigade  had  passed  this  point  Longstreet  had  extended 
his  lines  across  the  road  preparatory  to  his  fierce 
charge  upon  Sickles'  position.  It  was  a  narrow  escape 
from  isolation,  if  not  capture,  as  the  small  brigade 
would  have  been  overwhelmed  had  they  come  in  con 
tact  with  the  rebel  column,  which  would  have  been  the 
inevitable  result  had  they  remained  long  enough  at 
"rest"  to  have  cooked  and  drank  their  coffee.  Moving 
leisurely  up  the  pike  to  about  the  point  where  Pickett's 
division  crossed  it  the  next  day  in  making  his  famous 
charge,  the  rail  fence  was  thrown  down,  and  marching 
across  the  fields  to  the  slope  of  Cemetery  Ridge, 
Burling's  brigade  halted,  and  at  nine  o'clock  ate  their 
breakfast  without  interference.  In  the  mean  time  men 
were  sent  forward  to  throw  down  the  rail  fences  that 
stood  between  the  ridge  and  the  pike.  The  brigade 
was  once  more  at  home  with  its  old  command. 

When  General  Meade  had  completed  his  reconnois- 
sance  and  given  his  orders  to  the  several  corps,  Geary 
was  ordered  to  take  position  on  the  right  of  the  line, 
where  Williams'  division  was  to  join  him.  By  this 


182 


NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


move  the  Twelfth  Corps  was  to  be  again  united. 
Promptly  on  receipt  of  his  orders  Geary  moved 
out  and  took  position  on  Gulp's  Hill,  joining 
Wadsworth's  division  of  the  First  Corps.  At  eight 
o'clock,  Williams'  division  (commanded  by  Gen 
eral  Ruger)  crossed  Rock  Creek  and  moved  up 
the  west  bank  of  that  stream  forming  on  the 
westerly  side  of  Gulp's  Hill,  and  then  moving  by 
the  right  flank  took  position  as  follows :  McDougall's 

brigade  (the  First)  join 
ing  Geary,  the  One 
Hundred  and  Seventh 
New  York  of  Col- 
grove's  brigade  extend 
ing  the  line  to  the  edge 
of  the  woods,  while  the 
Thirteenth  New  Jersey 
Regiment  was  formed 
in  rear  in  close  column 
by  division.  On  the 
right  of  the  Thirteenth 
New  Jersey  was  an  open  space  of  about  one  hun 
dred  yards,  through  which  coursed  a  small  stream 
having  its  rise  at  Spangler's  spring  west  of  the  Thir 
teenth  Regiment's  position.  This  open  ground  was 
marshy,  and  the  rest  of  Colgrove's  brigade  was  formed 
in  the  edge  of  McAllister's  wood,  on  the  south.  As 
soon  as  the  line  was  established  the  men  began  con 
structing  lines  of  breastworks  out  of  the  fence  rails, 
old  stumps,  dead  limbs  of  trees,  stones  and  whatever 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


183 


could  be  found  that  would  impede  the  progress  of  a 
bullet.  Lockwood's  brigade,  which  had  joined  the 
Twelfth  Corps  on  the  morning  of  the  second,  was 
posted  to  the  right  of  Colgrove,  its  right  resting  near 
the  junction  of  the  Baltimore  pike  with  Rock  Creek. 
The  Fifth  Corps  was  massed  near  the  bridge  over 
Rock  Creek,  on  the  Baltimore  pike,  in  supporting  dis 
tance  of  the  Twelfth  Corps.  By  twelve  o'clock  the 
Union  line  of  battle  \vas  intact,  extending  from  Gulp's 
Hill  on  the  right  to  the  base  of  Little  Round  Top  on 
the  left,  the  summit  of  which  was  used  as  a  signal 
station.  The  Sixth  Corps  was  still  on  its  long  march 
from  Manchester. 

The  line  of  battle  as  formed  resembled  more  closely 
than  anything  else,  an  immense  hook,  Cemetery  Ridge 
forming  the  shank,  Cemetery  Hill  the  heel,  and  Gulp's 
Hill  the  end  of  the  hook.  It  was  an  admirable  defen 
sive  position,  as  it  could  be  easily  reinforced  at  any 
point  by  short  marches,  and  its  vulnerability  was  not 
to  remain  long  untested. 

The  course  of  Lee  in  so  long  remaining  silent 
was  a  source  of  mystery  to  the  Union  commander, 
and  he  determined  to  assault  the  enemy  on  the  right 
with  the  Twelfth  and  Fifth  Corps,  supported  by  the 
Sixth  Corps  on  its  arrival,  and  the  order  for  the  move 
ment  was  given.  General  Slocum  and  General  War 
ren  made  a  reconnoissance  of  the  position  and  reported 
against  it,  and  it  was  abandoned. 

General  Lee,  though  quiet,  was  not  inactive.  He 
had  visited  Ewell  during  the  night  and  ordered  him  to 


1 84  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

attack  the  Union  right,  but  that  officer  objected  on  the 
ground  that  the  Federals  were  massed  in  his  front,  and 
said  that  he  should  intrench  his  position.  The  rebel 
army  kept  coming  into  line  as  the  night  advanced,  and 
they  were  exultant  over  the  victory  of  the  day  before, 
and  confident  of  a  more  glorious  result  on  the  morrow. 
General  Lee  himself  was  infected  with  the  same  spirit, 
and  awaited  the  approach  of  daylight  with  every 
expectation  of  success.  Knowing  of  the  great  alarm 
the  presence  of  his  army  in  Pennsylvania  had  occa 
sioned  throughout  the  North,  it  only  needed  a  victory 
over  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  on  northern  soil  to 
bring  about  the  full  realization  of  his  hopes.  He  saw 
peace  won  at  last,  the  Southern  Confederacy  an  estab 
lished  fact,  his  army  victorious  and  marching  triumph 
antly  to  their  homes.  Infused  with  such  a  spirit,  army 
and  commander  felt  themselves  invincible.  At  daylight 
the  rebel  line  extended  from  Benner's  Hill,  where  John 
son's  division  was  posted,  Early  joining  him  and  front 
ing  the  ridge  between  Gulp's  and  East  Cemetery  Hill, 
while  Rodes'  division  occupied  the  town,  and  con 
nected  with  Hill's  corps  on  Seminary  Ridge,  which 
was  disposed  as  follows :  Pender's  division  on  the  left, 
Heth  on  the  right,  Anderson  in  rear  between  Marsh 
Creek  and  Willoughby  Run.  Longstreet  with  two 
divisions  of  his  army  were  close  by  and  moving  for 
ward,  and  by  nine  o'clock  the  rebel  forces  were  all  at 
hand  and  ready  for  action,  except  the  division  of  Pick- 
ett,  which  was  on  its  way  from  Chambersburg,  and 
Stuart's  cavalry  who  were  moving  to  take  position  on 
the  left. 


BVT.  BRIG.-GEN.  EZRA  A.  CARMAN, 

Colonel  Com'd'g  i3th  Regt.  N.  J.  Vols.,  Inf. 

(From  a  War-time  Photograph.} 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  187 

On  the  Union  side  the  same  confidence  was  mani 
fested  by  the  troops,  and  as  each  corps  came  upon  the 
field  they  reechoed  the  words  of  Doubleday's  heroes 
of  the  day  before,  "Weve  come  to  stay!"  Thus  both 
sides  were  nerved  to  the  most  desperate  resolve,  and 
how  well  they  maintained  it  the  record  of  the  next  two 
days  gives  abundant  testimony. 

Small  things  produce  remarkable  results  at  times. 
As  the  Thirteenth  New  Jersey  Regiment  with  the 
First  Division  of  the  Twelfth  Corps  was  making  their 
exhaustive  march  on  July  first  under  a  broiling  sun 
from  Two  Taverns,  men  fell  out  of  the  ranks  in  squads 
by  the  roadside  for  a  brief  rest.  Four  or  five  women 
from  Gettysburg,  who  had  fled  on  the  approach  of  the 
rebel  army  stood  by  the  side  of  the  road,  and  involun 
tarily  began  waving  their  bonnets  and  aprons.  The 
men  at  first  waved  their  hands  in  token  of  recognition, 
next  they  took  off  their  caps  to  them,  and  finally  the 
column  broke  into  a  hearty  cheer.  Tired  and  exhausted 
men  rallied  under  the  inspiriting  huzzas,  rejoined  the 
column  and  moved  briskly  toward  the  enemy. 

At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  advance  brigade 
of  the  Sixth  Army  Corps,  came  upon  the  field,  and  at 
6  p.  m.  the  entire  corps  had  reported  after  a  forced 
march  variously  estimated  at  from  thirty  to  thirty-five 
miles.  This  corps  had  done  some  remarkable  march 
ing  during  the  past  three  days,  and  with  their  presence 
on  the  field,  the  whole  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  now 
at  hand.  The  First  New  Jersey  Brigade,  General 
A.  T.  A.  Torbert,  commander,  comprising  the  First, 


1 88  NE  W  JERSE  Y  TROOPS 


Second,  Third  and  Fifteenth  Regiments  (The  Fourth 
Regiment  was  on  duty  at  division  headquarters,  three 
companies  serving  as  Provost  Guard  and  seven  com 
panies  guarding  the  ammunition  trains)  composed  the 
First  Brigade,  of  the  First  Division,  and  reached  the 
battlefield  at  4  p.  m.  The  brigade  with  its  corps  had 
marched  fifty-five  miles  in  three  days,  bivouacking  on 
the  night  of  June  3Oth  at  Manchester  after  a  march  of 
twenty-three  miles  on  that  day.  The  brigade  was 
encamped  in  a  meadow  near  the  town,  and  the  tired, 
weary  men  sought  their  soft  and  rich  beds  at  an  early 
hour  expecting  to  have  a  good  night's  rest,  but  it  was  not 
to  be.  About  10  p.  m.  the  camp  was  suddenly  aroused 
by  the  shrill,  clear  notes  of  the  "Assembly."  Every 
man  jumped  to  his  feet  and  seized  his  arms.  Soon  the 
order  came  to  march,  and  the  "  Forward  "  sounded. 
"Where?"  "What  is  all  this  for?"  were  the  ques 
tions  asked  but  no  one  could  answer.  The  orders  had 
been  to  march  to  Taneytown,  and  the  observant  men 
in  line  noticed  that  the  column  was  countermarching 
on  the  same  road  they  had  gone  over.  Ere  long  the 
column  turned  into  the  broad  Baltimore  pike  and 
headed  westward.  All  night  long  the  steady  tramp, 
tramp,  was  kept  up,  and  when  daylight  broke,  the 
march  was  still  continued.  There  was  no  halt  for  break 
fast,  or  coffee,  but  no  one  murmured  or  complained, 
and  on  they  went,  until  about  one  o'clock,  when  to  the 
joy  of  every  one  the  head  of  the  column  was  seen  to  be 
filing  into  an  open  field.  A  shout  went  up !  This 
meant  coffee  and  a  little  rest.  Long  lines  stretched 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


across  the  field,  and  the  smoke  of  small  fires  soon 
showed  what  was  being  done,  but  hardly  had  the  rear 
of  the  column  gained  its  place  before  a  horseman  was 
seen  coming  at  full  speed  down  the  pike  ;  his  horse 
white  with  foam  told  all ;  his  mission  was  one  of  urgent 
importance.  Riding  up  to  where  General  Sedgwick 
was  standing  he  delivered  his  dispatch — the  Adjutant- 
General  promulgated  it  orally  :  "  The  Corps  is  wanted 
at  Gettysburg  in  the  shortest  possible  space  of  time." 
A  thrill  went  through  every  man's  heart.  Coffee  in 
various  stages  of  brewing  was  emptied  on  the  ground, 
and  stacks  were  broken  ere  the  message  was  finished. 
From  mouth  to  mouth  went  the  summons :  "  Our 
comrades  at  the  front  want  us,"  and  but  one  thought 
animated  all.  Away  the  column  went,  and  on  gaining 
the  pike,  the  stride  of  the  men  in  their  eagerness 
to  get  forward  kept  the  officers'  horses  on  a  dog-trot. 
No  more  glorious  sight  ever  met  the  eye  of  a  soldier 
than  this  one  as  he  looked  back  over  that  magnificent 
body  of  men  as  they  marched  up  that  pike  on  the 
afternoon  of  July  the  second.  Ten  miles  were  passed 
over  and  Rock  Creek  was  reached,  but  one  mile  from 
the  line  of  battle.  A  short  halt  to  fill  canteens  with 
water  was  made.  The  great  journey  was  over.  The 
most  wonderful  march  ever  made  by  so  large  a  body 
of  troops  had  been  accomplished — thirty-five  miles  in 
eighteen  hours  !  The  New  Jersey  Brigade  rested  near 
the  centre  of  the  line  of  battle  for  nearly  two  hours, 
when  they  were  ordered  to  the  left  of  the  line  where 
they  arrived  at  dark.  General  Torbert  reports  that 


Ig0  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

there  were  but  twenty-five  men  absent  when  the  march 
was  ended  and  these  reported  to  their  commands 
during  the  night. 

A  strong  picket  line  was  sent  out  from  the  brigade, 
under  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Wiebecke  of 
the  Second  Regiment,  composed  of  Company  D, 
Captain  Lipfert,  and  Company  E,  Lieutenant  Gustavus 
Peine,  of  the  Second  Regiment,  and  details  from  the 
First,  Third  and  Fifteenth  Regiments.  They  became 
warmly  engaged  with  the  enemy  during  the  third  and 
sustained  a  loss  of  eleven  men.  Colonel  Wiebecke 
with  the  gallantry  and  heroism  that  always  character 
ized  him  in  action  won  high  encomiums  from  his 
superior  officers  for  the  gallant  services  rendered  on 
this  occasion. 


BVT.  BRIG. -GEN.  FRED.  H.  HARRIS, 

Captain   Co.    E,    13111    Regt.    N.  J.    Vols.,  Inf. 

(From  a  Recent  Photograph.) 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE  SECOND  DAY'S  BATTLE  —  SICKLES'  NEW  LINE  - 
LONGSTREET'S  ATTEMPT  TO  TURN  THE  FEDERAL 
LEFT  —  THE  SECOND  NEW  JERSEY  BRIGADE,  THE 
ELEVENTH  REGIMENT,  AND  BATTERY  "  B,"  FIRST 
NEW  JERSEY  ARTILLERY  IN  ACTION  —  HOOD  RE 
PULSED  AT  LITTLE  ROUND  TOP — A  GALLANT 
AND  SUCCESSFUL  CHARGE  BY  THE  TWELFTH  NEW 
JERSEY  REGIMENT— CASUALTIES  AMONG  THE  NEW 
JERSEY  TROOPS. 

WHEN  the  line  of  the  Third  Corps  had  been 
established  by  the  deployment  of  Birney's 
division  in  the  position  vacated  by  Geary, 
its  right  rested  on  the  left  of  the  Second  Corps  and 
its  left  at  the  base  of  Little  Round  Top.  This  rocky 
eminence,  owing  to  the  indefinite  instructions  given 
to  General  Sickles  remained  unoccupied,  and  its 
importance  was  apparently  not  then  appreciated  by 
him,  or  he  may  have  thought  other  troops  would 
form  on  his  left  to  cover  it.  But,  whatever  the  cause, 
it  was  unoccupied  except  by  the  Signal  Corps. 
Randolph's,  and  Clark's  ("  B,"  First  New  Jersey) 
batteries  were  placed  in  position  in  Birney's  front, 
and  were  commanded  by  the  ridge  along  which  ran 


194  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

the  Emmetsburg  road.  Seeley's,  Smith's  and  Wins- 
low's  batteries  of  the  Third  Corps  were  parked  within 
convenient  distance.  The  skirmishers  placed  along 
the  Emmetsburg  road  and  to  the  front  of  it  had  been 
engaged  in  a  desultory  firing  during  the  entire 
morning,  and  the  army  was  momentarily  expecting  an 
attack  from  the  enemy.  The  firing  kept  increasing  in 
volume  along  Birney's  front,  and  at  noon  he  sent 
forward  one  hundred  of  Berdan's  sharpshooters,  sup 
ported  by  the  Third  Maine  Regiment,  with  instruc 
tions  to  push  as  far  forward  as  possible  and  feel  the 
enemy's  right.  They  advanced  promptly  to  their 
work  and  soon  became  heavily  engaged.  The  rebel 
skirmish  line  was  driven  back  and  a  large  body  of  men 
were  found  moving  in  column  toward  the  Federal  left. 
The  reconnoitering  force  were  in  turn  driven  back 
with  great  loss,  and  General  Birney  informed  General 
Sickles  of  his  discovery,  who  ordered  him  to  change 
front  to  meet  the  expected  attack. 

This  movement,  which  led  to  such  important  results, 
has  now  become  the  subject  of  an  excited  controversy 
among  military  critics.  The  simple  facts  in  the  case 
seem  to  be  these :  Between  Cemetery  Ridge,  on  the 
prolongation  of  which  the  Union  line  of  battle  was 
formed,  and  Seminary  Ridge,  occupied  by  Lee's  army, 
was  a  subordinate  ridge  of  ground,  along  the  crest  cf 
which  ran  the  Emmetsburg  road.  The  low  ground, 
between  Cemetery  Ridge  and  Little  Round  Top  which 
Sickles  occupied,  was  commanded  by  this  inferior  ele 
vation.  The  trend  of  this  rising  ground  is  southwest- 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


'95 


erly,  and  the  most  commanding  position  along  its 
course  is  the  Peach  Orchard  at  the  junction  of  a  cross 
road  with  the  Emmetsburg  road.  From  the  Peach 
Orchard  running  easterly,  the  high  ground  continues 
for  a  short  distance  and  then  ends  abruptly  at  a  rocky 
depression  known  as  the  Devil's  Den,  between  which 
and  the  Round  Top,  there  is  a  defile  or  gorge  through 
which  runs  a  small  stream  known  as  Plum  Run.  Gen 
eral  Sickles  had  previously  informed  Meade  of  the 
nature  of  the  ground  in  his  front  and  solicited  permis 
sion  to  make  the  change,  requesting  that  a  staff  officer 
be  sent  with  him  to  examine  the  position.  General 
Hunt,  Chief  of  Artillery,  made  a  reconnoissance  of  the 
entire  line,  extending  his  tour  to  the  summit  of  Little 
Round  Top,  and  returned  to  General  Meade,  whom  he 
requested  to  personally  examine  the  left  of  the  line 
before  approving  of  Sickles'  proposed  advance.  Gen 
eral  Meade  had  in  the  mean  time  called  a  council  of 
corps  commanders  at  his  headquarters  near  Zeigler's 
Grove,  and  was  awaiting  the  presence  of  Sickles  in 
obedience  to  the  call.  Sickles,  not  hearing  anything 
from  General  Hunt,  gave  the  order  to  -Birney  to 
advance  to  the  new  ground,  and  ordered  Humphreys 
to  take  position  on  the  Emmetsburg  road  connecting 
with  Birney  at  the  Peach  Orchard.  He  then  started 
for  Meade's  headquarters,  but  before  he  had  time 
to  dismount  the  sound  of  Clark's  guns  announced 
to  the  assembled  corps  commanders  that  the  "  ball 
had  opened."  Meade  then  accompanied  Sickles  to 
the  threatened  point  of  attack,  and  while  he  did  not 


1 96  NE.  W  JER SEY  TROOPS 

approve  of  the  movement,  saw  there  was  no  time  to 
make  a  change,  as  Sickles  expressed  himself  willing 
to  do. 

The  change  of  front  General  Birney  was  directed  to 
make  brought  his  division  along  the  left  arm  of  the 
angle  extending  from  the  high  ground  above  the 
Devil's  Den  to  the  Peach  Orchard,  at  the  intersection 
of  a  cross-road  with  the  Emmetsburg  road,  General 
Ward's  brigade  being  on  the  left  of  the  line,  De  Tro- 
briand  in  the  centre,  and  Graham  on  the  right.  Ward's 
left  regiment,  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth 
New  York,  was  the  extreme  left  of  the  line  and  was 
placed  on  the  high  ground  west  and  north  of  the 
Devil's  Den.  This  exposed  flank  was  protected  only 
by  Smith's  (Fourth  New  York)  battery  of  rifled  guns, 
which  commanded  the  gorge,  with  the  Fourth  Maine 
Regiment  still  farther  to  the  left  at  the  base  of  Little 
Round  Top,  supporting  it.  On  the  right  of  Smith's 
battery  was  a  thin  belt  of  woods,  and  into  the  open 
ground  (a  wheat-field)  beyond  it  Winslow's  battery  of 
light  twelve-pounders  was  placed.  Graham's  line  was 
formed  along  the  Emmetsburg  road,  its  left  being  at 
the  Peach  Orchard  and  refused  so  as  to  form  an  angle 
at  this  point.  De  Trobriand  formed  across  the  extreme 
point  of  the  wheat-field  to  make  connection  with  Ward 
and  Graham,  and  in  position  to  reinforce  either,  as  cir 
cumstances  might  require.  Humphreys  advanced  his 
division  to  the  Emmetsburg  road,  leaving  only  Bur- 
ling's  brigade  in  support,  which  was  soon  after  sent  to 
reinforce  Birney's  weak  line.  By  this  movement  a 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


I97 


wide  gap  was  made  between  the  left  of  the  Second 
Corps  and  Humphreys'  right,  which  Gibbons  filled  by 
sending  forward  two  regiments  of  his  division. 

The  position  of  the  Third  Corps  was  now  complete, 
and  it  was  strengthened  by  the  batteries  of  Bigelow, 
Phillips,  Hart  and  Clark  ("  B "  First  New  Jersey),  in 
the  open  ground  north  of  the  cross-road  and  in  rear  of 
the  Peach  Orchard,  and  protected  by  a  slight  intrench- 
ment  dug  along  the  road  which  gave  to  it  the  name  of 
the  "sunken  road."  Ames'  battery  occupied  the  Peach 
orchard,  supported  by  the  Third  Maine  and  Third 
Michigan  Regiments,  which  formed  in  front  of  the 
Orchard  facing  south,  while  Randolph's,  Seeley's  and 
Turnbull's  batteries  were  placed  along  the  Emmets- 
burg  road  fronting  west.  Sickles  had  been  directed  to 
call  upon  Sykes  for  a  division  of  the  Fifth  Corps,  and 
Hancock  also  ordered  a  division  of  the  Second  Corps 
to  respond  to  any  call  for  aid. 

Meade  and  his  corps  commanders  expected  an  attack 
by  Lee  at  some  point  in  the  line  at  an  early  hour,  and 
his  desire  to  anticipate  such  a  move  was  his  reason  for 
his  order  directing  the  Twelfth  and  Fifth  Corps  to 
charge  the  enemy's  left  on  the  arrival  of  the  Sixth 
Corps.  That  movement  appears  to  have  been  aban 
doned  by  the  adverse  reports  of  Generals  Slocum  and 
Warren,  and  Meade  therefore  changed  his  plans  to  an 
offensive  movement  by  his  left,  which  he  was  not,  how 
ever,  permitted  to  make.  Lee's  delay  in  attacking  the 
Federal  position  was  a  source  of  astonishment  to  the 
Union  army  and  incomprehensible  to  Meade,  who  had 


1 98  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

been  expecting  an  advance  against  the  Union  right  as 
more  likely  than  at  any  other  point,  and  the  continued 
silence  of  the  Confederate  leader  gave  rise  to  a  number 
of  conjectures  as  to  his  possible  intentions. 

General  Lee  was  not  idle,  however,  but  time,  which 
was  of  so  much  value  to  him,  was  being  ruthlessly 
wasted.  After  the  abandonment  of  the  plan  whereby 
Ewell  was  to  attack  the  Federal  right,  he  had  formed  a 
plan  of  attack  on  the  left  of  Meade's  army,  Ewell  to 
assault  the  right  at  the  sound  of  Longstreet?s  guns 
while  Hill  was  to  make  a  vigorous  demonstration  on 
the  centre.  Ewell  had  expressed  the  belief  that  he 
could  successfully  assault  the  right  as  soon  as  Long- 
street  should  break  through  the  Union  left.  No  time 
seems  to  have  been  fixed  upon  for  the  beginning  of  this 
movement,  and  every  hour's  delay  only  strengthened 
the  Union  line.  General  Lee  informed  Longstreet  of 
his  proposed  attack,  but  that  officer  attempted  to  dis 
suade  him  from  it.  A  long  time  seems  to  have  been 
spent  in  controversy,  and  finally  Longstreet  plead  for 
more  time  until  McLaws'  division,  which  had  been  on 
picket  should  arrive. 

Lee  had  abandoned  the  "  offensive-defensive  "  plan  of 
operations,  and  to  the  objections  of  both  Longstreet 
and  Hood  to  the  proposed  movement  said :  "  The 
enemy  is  here,  and  if  we  do  not  whip  him  he  will  whip 
us."  *  Lee  was  sanguine  of  success.  His  troops  had 
been  victorious  the  day  before,  and  they,  as  well  as 
himself  were  filled  with  a  belief  in  their  invincibility. 

*  Hood  in  his  letter  to  Longstreet. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG   CAMPAIGN.  199 

Three-quarters  of  an  hour  were  lost  waiting  for  the 
arrival  of  McLaws,  and  when  at  last  he  reported,  a 
further  delay  of  several  hours  occurred  in  the  march  of 
the  troops.  This  was  occasioned  by  the  instructions  of 
General  Lee  which  called  for  the  masking  of  the  move 
ment  from  the  Federals,  the  design  being  to  fall 
suddenly  and  impetuously  on  the  left  flank  of  the 
Union  army,  which  Lee  supposed  rested  on  the 
Emmetsburg  road. 

One  incident  was  in  Lee's  favor.  The  Union  cavalry 
which  should  have  been  placed  on  Sickles'  left,  had  by 
a  misunderstanding  been  ordered  elsewhere,  and  there 
was  nothing  apparently  to  prevent  a  surprise  move 
ment  but  the  skirmish  line  of  the  Third  Corps.  The 
situation  seemed  favorable  for  a  repetition  of  "  Stone 
wall  "  Jackson's  flank  movement  by  which  the  Eleventh 
Corps  was  put  to  flight  at  Chancellorsvifle  ;  but  there 
was  an  important  obstacle  to  its  success,  which  Long- 
street  made  a  wide  detour  to  overcome.  This  obstacle 
was  the  Signal  Station  on  Little  Round  Top.  The 
officer  in  charge  discerned  the  marching  column  of  the 
enemy,  and  at  once  notified  General  Sickles  and  Gen 
eral  Meade  of  the  fact.  General  Meade  sent  General 
Warren,  of  his  staff,  to  the  Signal  Station,  and  Sickles 
ordered  Birney  to  develop  the  enemy's  right  with  the 
result  as  previously  described.  There  was  no  chance 
now  for  a  surprise. 

Longstreet  observed  the  signal  station  on  Round 
Top,  and  knowing  that  the  movement  could  no  longer 
be  concealed,  formed  his  troops  for  the  assault. 


200  Ar£  W  /ERSE  Y  TROOPS 

Hood's   division   was  placed  on  the  right  in  the   fol 
lowing  order : 

Laws'  brigade,  supported  by  Benning,  on  the  right ; 
Robertson,  with  Anderson's  brigade  in  his  rear,  on 
the  left. 

McLaws'  division  formed  on  the  left  of  Hood,  Ker- 
shaw's  brigade  in  front  and  Semmes'  brigade  in  rear 
of  Kershaw,  constituting  his  right ;  Barksdale,  sup 
ported  by  Wofford,  the  left. 

Hood's  division  was  to  attack  first,  by  crossing  the 
Emmetsburg  road  and  advancing  along  the  line,  taking 
the  left  of  the  Union  line  in  flank  and  rear.  As  soon 
as  that  was  accomplished,  McLaws  was  to  deploy 
across  the  road  in  two  lines  of  battle  and  drive  £he 
Federals  from  the  Peach  Orchard.  These  instructions 
were  not  carried  out  in  the  manner  designed,  and  the 
battle  was  fought  on  a  plan  which  developed  itself. 

General  Hood,  on  whom  devolved  the  opening  of 
the  fight,  had  received  word  from  his  scouts  who  had 
ascended  Round  Top,  of  the  defenceless  condition  of 
Little  Round  Top,  and  the  apparent  ease  with  which 
the  Federal  army  could  be  attacked  in  rear  by  passing 
completely  around  the  larger  mountain,  and  he  vainly 
sought  to  secure  a  modification  of  the  order,  and  to  be 
permitted  to  move  to  the  south  of  Round  Top  for 
that  purpose.  Three  separate  requests  were  sent  to 
Lee,  and  finally  Longstreet  went  to  Hood  and  repeated 
the  order  of  General  Lee,  which  was  to  be  strictly 
obeyed. 

Birney's  infantry  line  was  a  weak  one,  but  his  front 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  2OI 

at  the  angle  was  well  covered  with  artillery  while 
Smith's  battery  to  the  extreme  left  had  a  commanding 
position.  Birney  having  discovered  the  position  of 
the  rebel  column,  at  two  o'clock  ordered  Clark's  bat 
tery  ("  B  "  First  New  Jersey)  to  open  upon  them,  and 
after  the  firing  of  a  few  rounds  they  disappeared. 
About  three  o'clock  a  rebel  battery  opened  fire  on 
Park's  position,  from  the  Emmetsburg  road,  about 
one  thousand  four  hundred  yards  to  the  front,  and 
the  fire  was  effectively  replied  to,  the  battery  soon 
ceasing  to  annoy  them.  The  enemy,  however,  were 
massing  their  artillery  under  cover  of  which  the 
infantry  attack  was  to  be  made.  The  batteries  of 
Reilley  and  Latham  covered  the  front  of  Laws'  and 
Robertson's  brigades,  and  further  to  the  left  thirteen 
batteries  were  placed  along  the  front  of  Seminary 
Ridge,  their  fire  converging  at  the  Peach  Orchard 
and  enfilading  Sickles'  line  in  both  directions.  At 
half-past  three  the  columns  of  Hood  were  seen  passing 
along  Birney's  front  to  the  left.  The  whole  artillery 
line  on  Seminary  Ridge  opened  upon  Birney's  posi 
tion,  their  fire  taking  Graham's  brigade  and  Hum 
phreys'  division  —  then  advancing  to  their  new  line 
on  the  Emmetsburg  road — in  flank.  The  Confederate 
infantry  preceded  by  a  strong  line  of  skirmishers, 
advanced  to  the  Federal  position.  The  artillery  which 
accompanied  the  rebel  line  opened  fire  vigorously 
upon  Smith's  battery  near  the  Devil's  Den  which 
replied  effectively. 

Ward's    line    was    a    very    thin    one    and    the    left 


2O2  NEW  [ERSEY  TROOPS 

extremely  weak.  There  was  but  one  regiment  to 
resist  the  whole  of  Laws'  rebel  brigade — the  Fourth 
Maine—  and  Hood  having  disregarded  Lee's  orders — 
either  because  he  was  surprised  at  finding  a  line  of 
battle  extending  from  the  Peach  Orchard  to  the  base 
of  Little  Round  Top  to  oppose  him,  or  believing  the 
latter  to  be  the  key  to  the  whole  battle-field  and 
easily  taken,  as  his  scouts  had  reported  it  defence 
less — directed  Laws  to  bear  to  the  right,  and  Rob 
ertson  noting  the  movement  also  bore  in  the  same 
direction,  and  fell  with  crushing  force  upon  Ward's 
line  at  its  weakest  point.  Sickles  at  once  called  upon 
Sykes  for  the  division  which  had  been  ordered  to  his 
support. 

When  Humphreys  moved  forward  to  the  Emmets- 
burg  road,  as  directed  by  General  Sickles,  Carr's 
brigade  was  in  the  advance,  followed  by  Brewster, 
Burling's  brigade  being  in  the  rear.  The  severe 
artillery  fire  upon  the  fated  Peach  Orchard  was  then 
in  progress.  Seeley's  battery  which  had  been  ordered 
to  take  position  on  the  right  of  a  log  house  on  the 
Emmetsburg  road,  was  transferred  to  the  left  of  the 
building  and  its  fire  soon  silenced  the  guns  in  its 
front.  Turnbull's  battery  from  the  artillery  reserve 
took  the  place  vacated  by  Seeley.  In  the  alignment 
of  Carr's  brigade,  the  Eleventh  New  Jersey  Regiment 
was  brought  to  the  Emmetsburg  road,  its  right  rest 
ing  on  the  Smith,  or  Essex  house,  and  extending 
nearly  parallel  with  the  road  and  about  twenty  paces 
to  the  east  of  it.  In  the  rear  of  the  Smith  house  was 


BRKY.  MAJOR  A.  JUDP.ON  CLARK, 

Captain  Com'd'g  Battery  B,  ist  N.  J.  Artillery. 
(From  a  ll'ar-time  Photograph  -  1862.) 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  205 

an  apple  orchard,  and  to  the  left  or  south  of  it,  a  small 
peach  orchard.*  The  Eleventh  Regiment  was  the 
extreme  left  of  the  brigade  and  joined  the  troops  of 
the  First  Division. 

Soon  after  Humphreys  had  disposed  his  line  to 
meet  the  expected  attack  of  the  enemy,  he  sent  Bur- 
ling's  brigade  to  the  support  of  Birney,  as  already 
stated.  This  brigade  moved  down  to  the  rear  of  the 
right  of  Birney's  division,  where  it  was  massed  in  a 
piece  of  woods  south  of  the  Trostle  house,  and  on 
the  margin  of  the  road  leading  to  the  Peach  Orchard. 
General  Birney  ordered  Burling  out  of  the  woods 
into  an  open  field  and  immediately  on  unmasking, 
the  enemy  opened  a  terrific  cannonade  on  his  left 
flank.  For  half  an  hour  the  brigade  was  exposed  to 
a  severe  storm  of  shot  and  shell,  when,  at  the  solici 
tation  of  his  regimental  commanders,  he  moved  the 
brigade  back  about  one  hundred  yards  where  they 
could  have  the  protection  of  a  slight  rise  in  the 
ground.  This  movement,  under  the  heavy  fire  of  the 
enemy,  was  made  in  perfect  order,  but  it  attracted 
the  attention  of  Captain  Poland  of  General  Sickles' 
staff,  who  not  understanding  it  rode  furiously  up  to 
Burling  and  demanded  to  know  by  whose  orders  he 
had  moved  his  brigade.  "  By  my  own,"  replied  Bur- 

*This  fact  has  given  rise  to  the  belief  that  the  position  of  the  Regi 
ment  was  in  Sherfey's  Peach  Orchard  which  was  some  distance  further 
to  the  left,  and  at  the  junction  of  a  cross-road  which  runs  from  the 
Taneytown  to  the  Emmetsburg  road.— Marbakcr,  Historian  Eleventh 
Regiment. 


2o6  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

ling.  "  Take  your  command  back  to  the  position  you 
left,  sir,"  was  Poland's  excited  reply,  and  Burling  at 
once  started  to  obey,  but  just  at  that  moment  an  order 
was  received  from  General  Birney  to  detach  two  regi 
ments  to  go  to  the  support  of  General  Graham. 
The  Second  New  Hampshire  and  the  Seventh  New 
Jersey,  Colonel  Louis  R.  Francine,  were  detailed  for 
that  purpose.  The  Second  New  Hampshire  was 
ordered  to  the  support  of  Ames'  battery  in  the  Peach 
Orchard,  and  in  taking  position  its  right  wing  fronted 
the  Emmetsburg  road,  and  its  left  the  cross-road  in 
rear  of  the  orchard,  thus  forming  an  acute  angle. 
The  Seventh  New  Jersey  was  ordered  to  the  support 
of  the  remaining  batteries,  and  took  position  to  the 
rear  of  Clark's  battery  ("B"  First  New  Jersey).  It 
had  been  at  this  place  only  a  short  time  when  the 
terrific  and  deafening  cannonade,  which  preceded  the 
advance  of  the  enemy,  began.  The  fire  from  the 
rebel  .batteries  was  sharp  and  effective.  Many  of  the 
shells  burst  directly  over  the  regiment  and  several 
men  were  killed  and  wounded  as  they  lay  in  the  ranks. 
Trying  as  the  ordeal  was  the  men  of  the  Seventh 
bore  it  bravely.  Unable  to  engage  the  enemy  they 
courageously  submitted  to  the  dreadful  down-pour 
of  missiles  which  broke  upon  them  and  from  which 
their  position  permitted  of  no  escape. 

The  Fifth  New  Jersey  Regiment,  Colonel  William  J. 
Sewell,  was  next  detailed.  Reporting  to  General 
Humphreys  the  Fifth  was  ordered  to  relieve  the  Sixty- 
third  Pennsylvania,  on  picket  duty  on  the  Emmetsburg 


208  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

road.     Colonel  Burling  was  now   left   with   but  three 
regiments  of  his  brigade. 

The  fighting  on  Ward's  front  to  the  left  had  been 
furiously  kept  up.  The  men  of  Robertson's  brigade 
threw  themselves  upon  the  Federal  line,  and  sought 
to  envelop  it  by  turning  the  left,  the  batteries  of  Smith 
and  Winslow  opened  upon  them,  at  first  with  case-shot, 
as  they  came  nearer  with  shell,  and  when  within  three 
hundred  yards  with  grape  and  canister.  The  infantry 
reserved  their  fire  until  the  enemy  Avere  but  two 
hundred  yards  away,  when  they  poured  a  terrific 
volley  into  them  checking  their  advance  and  throwing 
them  into  great  disorder.  Between  the  opposing  lines 
was  a  stone  fence  and  both  sides  waged  a  sharp  contest 
for  its  possession.  The  battle  was  a  frightful  one.  It 
seemed  as  though  both  Confederates  and  Federals 
were  determined  to  fight  until  death  before  giving 
way.  For  more  than  an  hour  the  lines  alternately 
advanced  and  retreated,  but  Robertson,  in  his  eager 
ness  to  interpose  between  Ward's  left  and  the  gorge, 
so  extended  his  lines  as  to  expose  his  flank  to  the  fire  of 
De  Trobriand's  brigade  who  was  on  the  right  of  Ward. 
So  deadly  was  the  fire  from  this  unexpected  quarter 
that  the  left  of  Robertson's  line  was  thrown  back,  and 
in  order  to  avert  disaster  Robertson  summoned  up  the 
rest  of  his  brigade  to  meet  De  Trobriand's  fire,  which 
relieved  Ward  from  the  enormous  pressure  upon  him 
and  he  promptly  advanced  and  recovered  the  ground 
which  he  had  lost. 

Anderson's  brigade  at  this  juncture  of  affairs  moved 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  2Og 

down  to  the  attack  on  De  Trobriand,  but  he  was  also 
repulsed  with  heavy  loss.  Benning's  brigade  came  in 
to  Anderson's  assistance  and  the  fighting  was  renewed 
with  great  desperation  on  both  sides. 

Laws'  brigade,  General  Hood  accompanying  it,  with 
two  regiments  of  Robertson's  brigade  moved  directly 
across  the  gorge  and  attempted  to  scale  the  rocky 
sides  of  Little  Round  Top.  Ward  had  no  troops  to 
prevent  the  movement,  and  there  was  nothing 
apparently  to  prevent  the  capture  of  this  important 
position. 

General  Warren  had  not  been  long  on  Little  Round 
Top  before  he  saw  the  great  importance  of  this  summit 
to  the  Union  army.  As  he.  saw  the  movement  of  Hood 
toward  it  he  directed  the  signal  officers  to  keep  on 
waving  their  flags  while  he  went  for  troops  to  defend 
it,  and  galloping  out  to  the  road  he  saw  Barnes'  divi 
sion  of  the  Fifth  Corps  moving  to  Sickles'  assistance. 
These  reinforcements  should  have  been  at  Sickles'  line 
an  hour  before,  but  they  were  in  time  to  save  Round 
Top.  At  the  urgent  request  of  Warren,  General  Sykes 
detached  Vincent's  brigade,  and  detailed  Hazlett's  bat 
tery  to  accompany  them.  Warren  returned  to  his  post 
and  looked  upon  the  frightful  scene  below.  The  inces 
sant  roar  of  artillery  and  musketry ;  the  rapid  move 
ment  of  troops — now  blue,  now  gray — as  they  emerge 
from  the  shelter  of  woods  and  rocks,  or  plunge  reck 
lessly  into  each  other's  ranks ;  the  yells,  the  shouts,  the 
cheers  which  arise  above  the  sound  of  musketry — all 
these  are  seen  and  heard,  but  to  Warren,  who  sees  the 
14 


210  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

enemy  moving  up  the  steep  sides  of  the  hill  he  occu 
pies,  the  terrible  conflict  below  becomes  painful,  as  he 
anxiously  awaits  the  arrival  of  Vincent.  Noticing  a 
body  of  troops  on  the  road  he  once  more  starts  for 
help,  and  at  his  urgent  solicitation  Colonel  O'Rorke,  of 
the  One  Hundred  and  Fortieth  New  York  Regiment, 
follows  him  on  a  double-quick.  During  Warren's 
absence  Vincent  emerges  on  the  spur  of  Little  Round 
Top,  and  before  him  is  spread  a  panorama  of  exceed 
ing  beauty  and,  just  at  that  moment,  of  terrible  grand 
eur,  but  he  has  no  time  to  devote  to  its  contempla 
tion.  As  he  posts  his  regiments  along  the  rocky  sum 
mit,  Laws'  enthusiastic  Alabamians  and  Texans  are 
pushing  their  way  up  the  slope.  Vincent's  men  are 
soon  in  position,  the  Sixteenth  Michigan  on  the  right, 
Forty-fourth  New  York  and  Eighty-third  Pennsylvania 
in  the  centre,  and  the  Twentieth  Maine,  Colonel  Cham 
berlain,  on  the  left.  The  enemy  advance  inspired  by 
the  sanguine  words  of  their  impulsive  leader,  and 
attack  Vincent's  centre.  The  rebels  stumble  and  fall 
over  the  rocks  and  stones  which  impede  their  advance, 
but  they  push  on,  sheltering  themselves  as  best  they 
can  from  the  close  fire  of  Vincent's  men.  Unable  to 
scale  the  obstructions  in  front,  Hood  extends  his  left  to 
outflank  the  Sixteenth  Michigan,  which  makes  a  gallant 
resistance  but  is  being  overpowered.  Just  at  this 
moment,  O'Rorke,  with  his  brave  New  Yorkers,  arrives 
on  a  run,  and  without  any  attempt  at  formation,  they 
rush  madly,  bravely,  desperately  upon  the  enemy,  and 
check  their  movement,  capturing  many  prisoners  as 


CAPT.  AMBKOSK   M.  MATTHEWS, 

Co.    I,    1 3th   Regt.    N.    J.    Vols.,    Inf. 

(From  a   Recent  Photograph.) 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  213 

trophies  for  their  gallant  charge.  Hazlett,  by  the  most 
extraordinary  exertions  has  succeeded  in  placing  his 
battery  on  the  summit  of  Little  Round  Top.  Dragging 
the  heavy  guns  by  hand,  skillfully  surmounting  the 
numerous  obstacles  in  the  shape  of  huge  bowlders  and 
fallen  trees,  which  were  met  with  at  every  step,  his 
plucky  artillerymen  performed  a  service  as  remarkable 
as  it  was  glorious.  Training  his  guns  upon  the  enemy 
below,  he  began  a  cannonade  against  the  forces  so 
fiercely  attacking  Ward,  and  as  the  sound  of  his  guns 
was  heard,  a  cheer  went  up  along  the  Union  line,  and 
all  knew  that  Little  Round  Top  was  safe. 

The  battle  which  raged  between  the  contesting 
forces  on  Little  Round  Top,  and  Benning,  Anderson 
and  Robertson's  rebel  brigades  with  the  troops  of  Ward 
and  De  Trobriand,  was  of  the  most  desperate  nature. 
The  two  Federal  brigades  supported  by  Smith's  and 
Winslow's  batteries  resisted  stubbornly,  but  their  posi 
tion  became  more  and  more  perilous.  Smith  leaving 
three  of  his  guns,  went  to  the  rear  and  opened  that 
section  of  his  battery,  firing  obliquely  through  the 
gully.  The  rebels  were  everywhere.  They  were 
strongly  disposed  behind  the  natural  defenses  of  rocks 
and  ridges  and  kept  up  an  incessant  musketry  and 
artillery  fire.  The  Sixth  New  Jersey  Regiment, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  J.  R.  Gilkyson,  commanding,  was 
sent  to  Ward's  support,  and  at  the  same  time  the 
Fortieth  New  York,  Colonel  Egan  of  De  Trobriand's 
brigade.  Proceeding  on  a  double-quick  to  the  most 
exposed  point  in  Ward's  line,  the  Sixth  New  Jersey 


214  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

took  an  advanced  position  in  the  gully  and  near  the 
Devil's  Den,  where  they  engaged  the  enemy.  The 
Eighth  New  Jersey  was  ordered  in  to  the  right  of 
Ward's  brigade,  probably  by  General  Birney's  direct 
order,  as  Colonel  Burling  did  not  know  what  disposi 
tion  had  been  made  of  it,  and  the  One  Hundred  and 
Fifteenth  Pennsylvania  Regiment  took  position  to  the 
left  of  the  Eighth  in  like  manner,  thus  closing  a  gap 
which  existed  in  the  line  between  Ward  and  De 
Trobriand.  Colonel  Burling's  command  had  thus  been 
broken  up  and  put  into  action  at  different  parts  of  the 
line,  over  an  extent  of  territory  reaching  from  the 
Rogers  house  on  the  Emmetsburg  road,  to  the  Devil's 
Den,  a  distance  of  fully  one  mile. 

The  engagement  had  now  become  general  along 
Birney's  entire  front.  Kershaw's  brigade  of  McLaws' 
division  followed  by  Semmes'  brigade  had  engaged  De 
Trobriand's  line  and  finally  attacked  the  apex  of  the 
angle  at  the  Peach  Orchard.  Tilton's  and  Sweitzer's 
brigades  of  Barnes'  division  of  the  Fifth  Corps  moved 
in  to  the  relief  of  De  Trobriand's  worn  out  and 
exhausted  men,  whose  ranks  had  been  fearfully 
thinned,  and  met  Kershaw's  attack  with  great  vigor, 
but  they  were  finally  driven  back,  thus  imperiling  the 
entire  position. 

The  Sixth  New  Jersey  and  the  Fortieth  New  York, 
who  had  pushed  down  to  the  support  of  Ward's  left, 
"  fighting  like  tigers,"  were  exposed  to  a  galling  fire. 
For  two  hours  the  Sixth  fought  the  enemy  in  the 
rocky  gorge,  protecting  themselves  by  the  huge 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  21$ 

bowlders  and  ledges  of  rock,  which  are  to  be  found 
everywhere  at  this  point,  and  only  retired  from  the 
field  when  ordered  by  General  Ward  to  rejoin  its 
brigade.  The  losses  of  the  Sixth  Regiment  during  the 
battle  were  as  follows  : 

FIELD   AND    STAFF. 

Wounded — Major  Theodore  VV.  Baker. 

COMPANY   A. 

Wounded  —  Second  Lieutenant  Hart  W.  Bodine, 
Corporal  Smith  Applegate,  Corporal  Thomas  V. 
Dougherty  (killed  June  18,  1864,  near  Petersburg, 
Va.),  Thomas  Shields,  William  K.  Morris,  William 
Walton. 

Missing—  Samuel  Applegate,  David  L.  Compton. 

COMPANY    B. 

Wounded  — •  Corporal  Charles  B.  Yearkes  (died 
August  20,  1863),  Andrew  Holland  (died  July  26, 
1864,  of  wounds  received  in  Wilderness). 

COMPANY   C. 

Wounded — Corporal  Frederick  Boorman,  John  Fin- 
erty,  Henry  Herman. 

Missing—  Austin  A.  Skinner,  Martin  Williams. 

COMPANY   D. 

Wounded  —  Sergeant  William  D.  Smith,  Sergeant 
'  Eli  H.  Baily,  Daniel  P.  Bendalow. 

Missing — Sergeant  Edgar  Hudson  (supposed  dead), 
Samuel  English. 


2l6  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

COMPANY   E. 

Wounded—  Second  Lieutenant  Levi  E.  Ay  res,  First 
Sergeant  George  W.  Jackson,  Sergeant  Charles  G.  P. 
Goforth  (died  September  i,  1864),  William  Hartman, 
Edward  Johnson. 

COMPANY    F. 

Wounded —  Sergeant  Adam  Sheppard,  Samuel  B. 
Matlack,  Charles  Horstman. 

COMPANY  G. 
Wounded — William  E.  Eastlack. 

COMPANY    H. 

Wounded — Corporal  Stephen  Hull,  Ambrose  Kizer, 
Peter  Wean  (died  July  n). 

COMPANY     I. 

Wounded — Sergeant  John  E.  Loeb,  Henry  Hessel. 
Missing — William  D.  Jacobs,  James  W.  Lewis. 

COMPANY   K. 

Killed — Corporal  Benjamin  F.  Reeves. 
Wounded — John    Lane,    Dennis    Laughlin,    John    A. 
Smith  (died  of  peritonitis  November  30,  1863). 

RECAPITULATION. 

Killed.      Wounded.     Afisstng.         Total. 

Officers 3  3 

Enlisted  Men i  29  8  38 

Total i  32  8  41 


BRIG.-GEX.  WILLIAM  H.  PEXROSE, 

Colonel  Comm'd'g  15111  Regt.  N.  J.  Vols.,  Inf. 

(From  Photograph  after  the  War.) 


AV  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  219 

The  Eighth  New  Jersey  Regiment,  Colonel  John 
Ramsey,  when  ordered  into  action  advanced  across 
the  wheat-field,  taking  position  behind  a  stone  wall, 
from  whence  they  were  ordered  further  to  the  right, 
placing  them  in  an  exposed  position,  with  the  stone 
wall  on  their  left,  and  a  rocky  hill  on  their  right.  In 
front  of  this  position  there  was  a  thick  brush,  big  tim 
ber  and  rising  ground,  beyond  which  was  a  ravine 
with  a  hill  on  the  other  side.  A  few  fence  rails  that 
were  lying  about  were  quickly  seized  upon  and  made 
to  form  a  slight  protection  before  the  coming  storm 
of  battle  should  strike  them.  The  only  troops  in  front 
were  a  few  of  Berdan's  sharpshooters.  While  some  of 
the  men  were  gathering  fence  rails  they  discovered 
Kershaw's  column  of  troops  approaching  in  line  of 
battle  to  the  attack  of  De  Trobriand's  position,  on  the 
left  of  whose  line  they  were,  and  quickly  gave  the 
alarm.  In  a  few  minutes  the  enemy  came  into  full 
view,  and  then  ensued  a  sharp,  severe  and  bloody 
struggle.  The  Eighth  fought  with  the  gallantry  and 
bravery  which  proved  them  worthy  followers  of  the 
heroic  Kearny.  Their  ranks  were  rapidly  thinned,  and 
as  they  fell  slowly  back,  their  colors  became  entangled 
in  a  tree.  The  remnant  of  brave  fellows  rallied  around 
them  with  cheers  and  re-formed  to  meet  the  advancing 
foe.  At  this  point  the  Eighth  was  subjected  to  a  severe 
musketry  fire  and  sustained  heavy  losses.  Colonel 
Ramsey  was  wounded,  and  the  command  of  the  regi 
ment  devolved  upon  Captain  John  Langston,  of  Com 
pany  K.  A  brigade  of  the  Fifth  Corps  came  into  line 


220  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

at  this  time  and  the  Eighth  was  relieved.  Its  losses 
were  49,  out  of  about  1 50  men  who  went  into  action, 
as  follows : 

FIELD   AND    STAFF. 

Wounded — Colonel  John  Ramsey. 

COMPANY  A. 

Killed — George  B.  Hopwood,  Anson  R.  Waer. 

Wounded — First  Lieutenant  Leonard  M.  Lambert, 
Sergeant  John  M.  Freeland,  Corporal  James  Van 
Wickle,  James  M.  Day,  Thomas  Oldham,  Henry  M. 
Shugard  (died  July  29). 

COMPANY   B. 

Killed—  Sylvester  W.  Hardy,  Charles  Meeker. 

Wounded — Second  Lieutenant  Joseph  Browe,  Joseph 
Burroughs  (died  July  16),  David  L.  Shiple}-,  James  E. 
Jones,  William  Robinson,  John  Jackson. 

COMPANY   C. 

Wounded — Charles  E.  Creelan,  David  James,  Ira  J. 
Smith  (also  missing). 

COMPANY   D. 

Wounded—  Second  Lieutenant  Andrew  J.  Mandeville, 
Harvey  K.  Ammerman,  Anthony  C.  Bull,  John  L. 
Hoffman. 

COMPANY   E. 

Killed — John  Classer,  David  Cooper. 
Wounded — Mark  Greengrove. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  221 

COMPANY   F. 

Killed — Sergeant  James  Riley. 

Wounded — First  Lieutenant  Henry  Hartford,  First 
Sergeant  Daniel  M.  Ford,  Stephen  D.  Longee,  Thomas 
Van  Cleave  (died  July  17). 

COMPANY   G. 

Wounded— Captain  Edward  C.  Nichols,  Corporal 
John  Cahill,  Edward  Quigley,  William  Riley. 

COMPANY  H. 

Killed — Jonas  W.  Longenhuer. 

Wounded— Captain  Andrew  S.  Davis  (died  July  29), 
First  Sergeant  William  J.  Donnelly,  Sergeant  Obadiah 
Evans,  John  H.  Gustus,  Ervin  Wilson,  J.  Irwin  Lake, 
Elisha  Bowlby. 

Missing— Corporal  Andrew  J.  Hoppock  (prisoner  of 
war). 

COMPANY    I. 

Wounded—William  R.  Ralph,  John  F.  Clouser, 
Patrick  Riley. 

COMPANY  K. 
Wounded — Corporal  Benjamin  Murphy. 

RECAPITULATION. 

Killed.     Wounded.     Missing.      Total. 

Officers —  7  7 

Enlisted  Men 8  34  i  43 

Total..  8  41  i  50 


222  NE  W  JERSE  Y  TROOPS 


The  Seventh  New  Jersey  Regiment  suffered  consid 
erably  from  the  artillery  fire  of  the  enemy  while  lying 
in  support  of  the  batteries,  a  number  of  men  being 
killed  and  wounded.  A  ball  from  one  spherical  case- 
shot  exploding  overhead,  plunged  into  the  neck  of 
Corporal  Eugene  Pollard  of  Company  K  as  he  lay  on 
his  face  in  the  ranks.  His  brother  and  file-mate  picked 
him  up  for  dead  and  carried  his  body  back  to  the 
woods  and  rocks  where  the  regiment  first  formed,  lay 
ing  him  down  where  he  might  be  found  again,  when 
they  returned  to  their  places.*  One  shell  came 
screaming  over  the  regiment  from  the  left  to  the  right 
and  plunging  into  the  ranks  exploded,  killing  two  or 
three  and  wounding  several  others,  among  the  latter 
Second  Lieutenant  Stanley  Gaines  of  Company  K, 
who  was  detailed  to  the  command  of  another  company, 
which  had  no  commissioned  officer  present. 

At  last  when  the  fighting  was  the  fiercest  at  Little 
Round  Top,  the  Devil's  Den  and  the  wheat-field,  the 
Seventh  became  exposed  to  a  shower  of  flying  bullets 
at  their  backs.  The  regiment  changed  front  to  the 
left  by  the  right  flank,  bringing  them  to  face  the 
lane  and  moving  a  few  hundred  feet  over  toward  the 
Emmetsburg  road,  and  nearer  to  Trostle's  lane.  Just 
at  this  time  the  artillery,  in  order  to  escape  the  advanc 
ing  lines  of  Longstreet's  hosts,  limbered  up  and  came 
hastening  to  the  rear  from  the  Peach  Orchard  and 

*  Corporal  Pollard  was  only  slightly  wounded,  and  the  bullet  which 
the  surgeons  cut  out  of  his  neck  he  carried  in  his  pocket. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  223 

from  the  field.  One  battery  coming  straight  toward 
the  Seventh  Regiment,  caused  the  right  four  com 
panies  to  separate  from  the  line,  thus  causing  a  gap, 
and  to  avoid  being  crushed  to  death  by  the  reckless 
drivers  of  the  battery,  were  forced  across  Trostle's 
lane.  The  artillery  became  temporarily  blocked  in  the 
lane,  the  anxiety  of  the  drivers  caused  them  to  lap  their 
horses  over  the  pieces  and  caissons  in  front  of  them, 
thus  effectually  preventing  the  right  four  companies  of 
the  Seventh  from  rejoining  their  colors  and  the  other 
six  companies  on  the  south  side  of  the  lane.  Simul 
taneously  with  this  blockade  in  Trostle's  lane,  came  the 
rebel  lines  into  the  sunken  road,  running  from  the 
Emmetsburg  pike  to  Round  Top,  and  with  colors 
planted  on  this  natural  breastwork,  they  opened  a 
galling  fire  upon  the  Seventh  New  Jersey  and  the 
Second  New  Hampshire  which,  falling  back  from  its 
first  position  at  the  extreme  angle  in  the  Peach 
Orchard,  had  made  this  its  last  stand,  in  the  field  about 
midway  between  the  two  roads.  The  right  of  the 
Seventh,  which  was  then  the  color  company  of  the 
regiment  commanded  by  Captain  Hillyer,  rested  under 
a  single  tree  that  still  stands  on  the  fence  line  of  Tros 
tle's  lane.  The  regiment  could  not  return  with  any 
effect  the  fire  of  the  rebel  line,  as  nothing  but  the 
slouch  hats  of  their  men  were  visible ;  they  were  unable 
to  lie  down  in  the  lane  owing  to  the  blockade  of  the 
artillery,  and  there  was  no  other  shelter  for  the  gal 
lant  veterans  of  the  Seventh,  who  had  no  thought  of 
leaving  the  field  without  firing  one  shot  at  the  enemv 


224  N£  IV  JERSEY  TROOPS 


at  least,  before  the  guns  were  safely  withdrawn. 
Colonel  Francine,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Price  and  Major 
Cooper  in  a  few  moments  saw  that  it  would  be  impos 
sible  to  hold  the  men  together  inactive,  exposed  to  this 
concentrating  and  galling  fire,  which  in  a  few  moments 
would  become  deadly  when  the  rebel  riflemen  had 
obtained  a  more  accurate  range.  Believing  that  a 
charge  on  the  double-quick,  with  hearty  Yankee  cheers 
would  check  the  advance  of  the  enemy's  line  and  draw 
his  fire  from  the  retreating  batteries,  at  the  same  time 
destroying  his  range,  the  order  was  quickly  given : 
"Fix  bayonets;  forward,  double-quick,  charge!"  and 
this  devoted  little  band  swept  across  the  field  with 
shouts  of  confidence.  As  they  reached  about  the  pro 
longation  of  the  line  of  the  Second  New  Hampshire— 
which  stood  like  a  wall,  hopelessly  matching  its  spent, 
feeble  and  almost  exhausted  fire  against  the  long  line 
of  battle  confronting  it — the  hopelessness  of  the  Sev 
enth's  effort  was  apparent,  and  all  knew  that  any 
further  advance  meant  certain  annihilation  for  the 
brave  Jerseymen.  A  halt,  a  hasty  adjustment  of  the 
line,  and  a  volley  at  the  line  of  dirty  slouch  hats  in 
front,  was  the  work  of  but  a  minute,  and  the  rattle  of 
musketry  drowned  all  other  sounds,  while  the  smoke 
totally  obscured  the  rebel  hats  and  colors. 

At  this  point  Colonel  Francine,  Lieutenant  Mul- 
lery,  Adjutant  Dougherty,  and  over  one-third  of  the 
Seventh  were  quickly  placed  /tors  du  combat.  The 
few  who  were  still  able  to  get  away  (wounded  and 
unhurt)  fell  back  beyond  the  Trostle  house  where 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  22$ 

they  joined  the  other  four  companies,  under  the  com 
mand  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Price,  who  rallied  the 
scattered  fragments  and  made  another  stand  near 
Trostle's  dwelling,  until  he  himself  fell  shot  through 
the  thigh  when  the  command  devolved  upon  Major 
Frederick  Cooper.  In  falling  back  from  its  most 
advanced  position  many  more  were  struck  by  the 
shower  of  balls,  among  them  Captain  Hillyer  who 
managed  to  hobble  from  the  field  with  a  flesh  wound 
in  the  calf  of  his  leg. 

The  losses  of  the  Seventh  were  severe,  amounting  to 
114,  killed,  wounded  and  missing,  as  follows: 

FIELD   AND    STAFF. 

Wounded — Colonel  Louis  R.  Francine  (died  July  16, 
1863),  Lieutenant  Colonel  Francis  Price,  Jr. 

COMPANY  A. 

Killed  —  Corporal  Parker  S.  Davis,  Martin  Van 
Houten,  James  Flavegar. 

Wounded — Lieutenant  Robert  Allen,  First  Sergeant 
Frederick  Laib  (died  July  7),  Corporal  Swain  S. 
Reeves,  William  H.  Kirby,  Thomas  Brady,  Lewis 
Haag,  Jonathan  C.  Stevens,  Owen  S.  Clark  (died  July 
20),  John  Geckler. 

COMPANY    B. 

Killed — First  Lieutenant  Charles  F.  Walker,  George 
W.  Berry. 

Wounded — Corporal  Daniel  Collins,  Corporal  John 
W.  Donnington,  Sopher?1"  Powers,  Wallace  Waer, 
15 


226  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

Patrick  Carrigan,  Stephen  P.  Williams,  Reuben  Pierce, 
William  Noonburg. 
Missing — Thomas  Flannery,  Cornelius  Vandervliet. 

COMPANY    C. 

Killed  -  -  Sergeant  James  H.  Harrison,  Sergeant 
James  Brown. 

Wounded — Corporal  Robert  N.  Beach,  Corporal 
George  W.  Major,  Corporal  Alfred  Husk,  Stephen 
W.  Edwards,  James  Keene,  John  Norman,  Charles 
Wilson,  Garret  C.  Bush. 

Missing — John  Lynch. 

COMPANY    D. 

Wounded — Lieutenant  James  H.  Onslow,  First  Ser 
geant  Walter  Rotherham,  Sergeant  John  T.  Pine, 
Corporal  Martin  Cook,  Corporal  Samuel  R.  Stibbins, 
Joseph  Deighlebohr,  .Mahlon  Hackney. 

Missing-^-lokm  Mushlee,  Charles  W.  Guice,  Charles 
Stibbins. 

COMPANY   E. 

Wounded — Sergeant  Calvin  J.  Osmun,  Sergeant  James 
Roseberry,  Corporal  Edward  Creveling,  Corporal 
David  R.  Rockafellow,  James  McKeever  (and  missing), 
William  H.  Pettit,  John  S.  Gulick,  Robert  Dairy mple, 
Joseph  Weaver,  Michael  Barry. 

COMPANY    F. 

Killed — Henry  Rourke,  James  Bennett,  Jeremiah 
McNulty,  Joseph  Hall. 

Wounded — Sergeant   James   F.    Renshaw  (died    July 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG   CAMPAIGN.  227 


ii),   Sergeant  Edward   H.   Ridgway,   Charles  P.  Platt 
(died  July  24),  Thomas  J.  Labaugh. 
Missing — Edwin  F.  Platt. 

COMPANY   G. 

Killed—  Corporal  Thomas  Flannigan,  Edward  Mew- 
hanney. 

Wounded — James  Fletcher  (died  July  8),  Henry  Van 
Riper,  Thomas  Walthall,  Robert  Dunkerley,  John 
James. 

Missing—  William  K.  Willis. 

COMPANY    H. 

Killed— John  A.  Dempsey. 

Wounded—  Lieutenant  Charles  R.  Dougherty,  Lieu 
tenant  Thomas  Clark,  First  Sergeant  Jesse  C.  Morgan, 
Corporal  William  B.  Davis,  Corporal  Lorenzo  Paynter, 
John  Armstrong,  Samuel  T.  Beckett,  Henry  F.  Har- 
rold,  Albert  Johnson,  George  C.  Lovejoy,  Samuel  H. 
Nelson,  Joseph  Wolf,  Thomas  W.  Wyne,  William  J. 
Wallen. 

Missing— Daniel  W.  Simmerman. 

COMPANY    I. 

Killed  —  Sergeant  William  A.  Ezekiel. 
\Voundcd — First  Sergeant  Edward  R.  Holt,  Corporal 
Ryerson  Space,  Joshua  Leonard,  Daniel  Sheldon. 
Missing — Richard  South. 

COMPANY    K. 

Wounded—  Captain  William  R.  Hillyer,  Lieutenant 
Michael  Mullery,  Lieutenant  Stanley  Gaines,  Corporal 


228  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

Eugene  Pollard,  Corporal  George  W.  Derrickson,  Cor 
poral  John  L.  Denton,  Lemuel  Adams,  George  F- 
Bayles,  Charles  Y.  Beers  (died  July  6),  Abel  Gruber, 
Jacob  S.  Hopping  (died  July  16),  John  H.  Haley, 
Robert  L.  Jolly  (died  July  22),  Theodore  F.  Searing, 
George  Shipman. 

Missing — Joseph  Ward,  John  Recanio. 

RECAPITULATION. 

Killed.       Wounded.  Missing.       Total. 

Officers i  10  n 

Enlisted  men 14  77  12  103 

Total _       15  87  12  114 

The  Fifth  New  Jersey  Regiment,  Colonel  William  J. 
Sewell,  which  had  been  ordered  to  the  relief  of  the 
picket  line  on  the  Emmetsburg  road,  moved  by  the 
right  flank  at  a  double-quick,  and  reached  the  position 
named  by  deploying  as  skirmishers.  The  right  of  the 
regiment  rested  at  a  white  house,  the  left  extending  to 
a  barn  on  the  Emmetsburg  road,  the  line  covering  the 
entire  front  of  Humphreys'  division.  The  Fifth  was 
subjected  to  a  severe  artillery  fire  for  full  an  hour, 
when  the  enemy's  infantry  (Barksdale's  brigade)  made 
their  appearance  to  the  left  and  in  front  of  the  position 
occupied  by  the  regiment.  Colonel  Sewell  at  once 
notified  General  Humphreys  of  the  enemy's  appear 
ance,  and  after  an  examination  of  the  ground  was  con 
vinced  that  the  only  place  to  check  the  attack  was  on 
the  road  and  the  crest  of  the  hill  which  he  held.  The 
enemy  first  encountered  the  left  of  the  line  of  battle, 
and  pushed  forward  in  such  strong  force  as  to  drive  in 


MONUMENT  IST  N.  J.  RRIOADK~IST?  20,  3n,  4TH, 


4TH,  I5TH  RFGTS. 


230  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

the    troops  on  SewelPs   left.      The  "flank  of   the  Fifth 
Regiment  thus  becoming  exposed,  the  left  of  the  line 
fell  back  and  the  ground  thus  surrendered  was  at  once 
occupied   by  a  rebel    battery.     Sewell    held    his   men 
firmly    to   the   position    expecting   an    advance  of   the 
troops  in  his  rear,  but  none  came  to  his  support.     The 
Fifth  was  now  seriously  compromised.     Exposed  to  a 
combined    musketry    and    artillery    fire    which  it   was 
impossible  to  withstand,  it  was  apparent  that  to  remain 
any  longer  meant    annihilation  or  capture.     Rallying 
the  regiment  on  the  right  Colonel  Sewell  skillfully  with 
drew  it  from   its  perilous  position,  at  the  same  time 
covering  Seeley's  battery,  which  was  firing  in  retreat. 
As  the  Fifth  fell  back  in  good  order  and  amid  a  terri 
ble  fire  of  musketry  and  artillery,  it  was  noticed  that 
Humphreys'  line  was  changing  front  to  his  rear  and 
right  so  as  to  connect  with  the  First  Division,  which 
had  been  compelled  to  vacate  its  position.     The  Fifth 
Regiment  fought  with  great  gallantry  and  confronted 
overwhelming    numbers,    but    the    strong    and    rapid 
advance  of   the   enemy  carried    everything   before  it. 
Colonel  Sewell  and  Acting   Major  Victor  M.  Healey 
were  both  seriously  hurt,  the  former  by  a  musket  ball 
and  the  latter  by  a  piece  of  shell.    Captain  E.  P.  Berry, 
acting  adjutant,  was  so  badly  hurt  that  his  leg  had  to 
be  amputated,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  died  July  6. 
The  casualties  complete  were  as  follows : 

FIELD   AND    STAFF. 

Wounded— Colonel  William  J.  Sewell,  Captain,  and 
Acting  Adjutant,  Edward  P.  Berry. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  231 

COMPANY   A. 

Killed — Second  Lieutenant  Henry  R.  Clark,  Samuel 
W.  Bradford. 

Wounded — Corporal  Thomas  Hannigan,  Charles  H. 
Compton,  John  Haney,  Michael  Humphrey,  John 
Miller,  Patrick  Ryan  (died  July  8),  Henry  Schweis, 
Patrick  Tynan. 

Missing — Augustus  F.  S.  Singleton. 

COMPANY   B. 

Killed — Corporal  Edgar  S.  Van  Winkle. 

Wounded—  Captain  Virgil  M.  Healy,  Sergeant  John 
Mclvors  (died  July  16),  Corporal  John  J.  Keeney, 
James  W.  Andrews,  James  Bell  (died  July  12,  1864), 
Roderick  Egan,  Michael  Fox,  John  H.  Ibbs,  Annanias 
H.  Lynn,  George  W.  Trauger,  George  T.  White. 

COMPANY   C. 

Killed — John  Ryan. 

Wounded — Captain  Henry  H.  Woolsey,  Sergeant 
John  W.  Jennings,  Edward  Bessigkommer,  David  J. 
Huntington,  Michael  C.  Manning,  Michael  McTigh, 
George  Schriber,  William  Waldron. 

COMPANY    D. 

Wounded — Corporal  John  F.  Chase,  Andrew  Jack 
son,  John  Coyle. 

Missing — Corporal  John  H.  Brady,  Levi  Hall, 
Edward  Cassaday  (died  January  2,  1864,  at  Belle  Isle, 
Va.,  prisoner  of  war),  John  Roaleff. 

Missing — Lewis  J.  Low  (supposed  dead). 


232  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

COMPANY   E. 

Killed — H enrich  Troch. 

Wounded  -  -  Corporal  Hugh  Riley,  Anton  Burtz, 
James  R.  Clark,  Samuel  Haines,  Eli  Hamilton, 
Albertus  K.  Hibbs,  Jacob  Meyers,  John  Melcher, 
William  Nelson. 

COMPANY    F. 

Killed — First  Sergeant  Theodore  Sutphin. 

Wounded  —  Sergeant  Richard  P.  Ogden,  George 
Drummond,  Jacob  M.  Frazer,  James  M.  Welsh,  Jona 
than  Wentzell. 

Missing — Corporal  Samuel  Ray. 

COMPANY   G. 

Wounded — Sergeant  Martin  Doyle,  John  J.  Irving, 
David  McManus,  David  Miller. 

Missing — Jacob  Baier,  John  O.  Heath  (missing,  sup 
posed  dead),  David  Stolter. 

COMPANY     H. 

Killed — Samuel  Henselman,  Patrick  Kelly. 

Wounded  —  Sergeant  Hugh  Starrs  (died  June  29, 
1864,  at  Anderson ville,  prisoner  of  war),  Corporal 
John  F.  Lee,  George  Rhinecker,  Howard  O'Daniel, 
William  H.  Ketch  (missing,  supposed  dead),  Joseph 
Zahn. 

Missing — John  H.  Johnson  (supposed  dead). 

COMPANY  I. 

Killed — Captain  Thomas  Kelly,  William  L.  Bennett, 
Edward  Martin. 


MONUMENT  STH  N.  J,  Voi.s.,  INF. 


NE  IV  JERSE  Y  TROOPS 


Wounded—  Sergeant  William  K.  Haines,  Corporal 
Thomas  Norcross  (died  October  30,  1863),  Benjamin 
O.  Birch,  Richard  Nesbitt,  George  Whitney. 

Missing— Alfred  L.  Britton. 

COMPANY  K. 

Killed—  Sergeant  Samuel  Shackleton. 

Wounded—  Captain  Cyrus  H.  Rogers,  William  J. 
Button  (died  September  24,  1863),  William  H.  Cary, 
Thomas  Hampton,  Charles  B.  Leonard. 

Missing—  First  Sergeant  Edwin  G.  Smith,  James 
Brady,  John  Easch  (supposed  dead),  Nehemiah  Sayers. 

RECAPITULATION. 

Killed.     Wounded.     Missing.      Total. 

Officers ...    2  5  7 

Enlisted  Men... n  60  16  87 


Total.  __ 13  65  16 


94 


The  praise  bestowed  upon  the  fighting  qualities  of 
Burling's  Jersey  brigade  is  wholly  deserved.  General 
Birney  says  of  them  :  "  I  cannot  estimate  too  highly 
the  services  of  the  regiments  from  Burling's  brigade, 
Second  Division— the  Fifth,  Sixth  and  Seventh  New 
Jersey  Volunteers.  These  regiments  were  sent  to  me 
during  the  contest  and  most  gallantly  did  they  sustain 
the  glorious  reputation  won  by  them  in  former  battles." 
The  absence  of  any  allusion  to  the  heroic  conduct  of 
the  Eighth  Regiment  is  undoubtedly  due  to  the  fact— 
as  Colonel  Burling  says  in  his  report— that  it  was  taken 
from  him  without  his  knowledge,  and  as  Colonel 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  235 

Ramsey,  who  commanded  the  regiment  was  wounded, 
no  report  of  its  services  was  ever  sent  in. 

Of  the  brilliant  services  of  the  Fifth  Regiment 
General  Humphreys  who  commanded  the  Second 
Division  of  the  Third  Corps,  says  : 

"  Colonel  Sewell,  commanding  the  Fifth  New  Jersey 
Volunteers,  of  my  Third  Brigade,  reported  to  me  and 
relieved  the  pickets  of  General  Graham's  brigade  on 
my  left,  some  of  which  extended  over  a  part  of  my 
front.  This  regiment  had  been  posted  but  a  short  time 
when  a  most  earnest  request  was  made  by  a  staff 
officer  of  General  Sickles  that  another  regiment  should 
be  sent  to  the  support  of  General  Birney.  At  this 
moment  Colonel  Sewell  sent  me  word  that  the  enemy 
was  driving  in  my  pickets  and  was  about  advancing  in 
two  lines  to  the  attack.  *  *  *  *  Seeley's  battery 
had  now  opened  upon  the  enemy's  infantry  as  they 
began  to  advance.  Turnbull's  battery  was  likewise 
directed  against  them,  and  I  was  about  to  throw 
forward  somewhat  the  left  of  my  infantry  and  engage 
the  enemy  with  it,  when  I  received  orders  from 
General  Birney  (General  Sickles  having  been  danger 
ously  wounded  and  carried  from  the  field)  to  throw 
back  my  left  and  form  a  line  oblique  to  and  in  rear  of 
the  one  I  then  held,  and  was  informed  that  the  First 
Division  would  complete  the  line  to  Round  Top  ridge. 
This  I  did  under  a  heavy  fire  of  artillery  and  infantry 
from  the  enemy,  who  now  advanced  on  my  whole 
front. 

"  At  this  time  Colonel  Sewell's  regiment  returned  to 


236  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

the  line,  having  maintained  most  gallantly  its  position 
on  picket,  with  very  heavy  loss. 

***«»:• 

"  As  I   have  already  stated,  my  Third   Brigade  was 
ordered  to  the  support  of  Major-General  Birney,  com 
manding  the  First  Division.    The  accompanying  report 
of  Colonel  George  C.  Burling,  commanding  that  bri 
gade,  exhibits  the  disposition    that   was   made  of   the 
regiments  of  the  brigade.     In  succession  they,  with  the 
exception  of  Colonel  Sewell's  regiment,  were  sent  to 
aid  the  brigades  of  the   First  Division.     The  Seventh 
New  Jersey,  Colonel  Louis  R.  Francine,  commanding, 
and  the  Second  New  Hampshire,  were  sent  to  the  sup 
port  of    General   Graham's   brigade,   and   the    Eighth 
New  Jersey,  Colonel  John  Ramsey,  commanding;  the 
Sixth  New  Jersey,  Lieutenant-Colonel  J.  R.  Gilkyson, 
commanding,    and    the    One     Hundred    and    Fifteenth 
Pennsylvania,   were   sent   to    the   support  of   General 
Ward's  brigade.      For  the  part  taken  in  the  engage 
ment  by  these  regiments  I  must  refer  to  the  reports 
of  the  commanders  of  these  brigades.     That  they  did 
their  duty  in  a  manner  comporting    with    their   high 
reputation  is  manifest  from  the  severe  loss  they  met 
with— 430  killed  and  wounded.    Colonel  Sew  ell,  Colonel 
Francine,    Colonel    Ramsey,    and    Lieutenant-Colonel 
Price,    officers   distinguished    for   their   skill   and    gal 
lantry,  were   severely   wounded..    Colonel   Francine's 
wound  proved  to  be  mortal. 

#  #  %  #  #  # 

u  Colonel  Sewell's  conspicuous  gallantry  in  the  main 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  237 

tenance  of  his  post  has  been  already  mentioned  by  me. 
He  was  severely  wounded  soon  after  his  regiment 
rejoined  the  main  line." 

General  Ward,  to  whose  support  the  Sixth  and 
Eighth  New  Jersey  Regiments  were  sent,  makes  no 
mention  whatever  in  his  report  of  the  valuable  services 
rendered  by  these  splendid  regiments,  an  oversight 
that  appears  strange  indeed,  in  view  of  the  profuse 
praise  bestowed  on  other  regiments  whose  services 
were  no  better,  nor  more  greatly  needed.  Captain 
Smith  of  the  Fourth  New  York  Battery,  is  an  honora 
ble  exception  to  both  General  Ward  and  Colonel 
Tipton  who  commanded  Graham's  brigade  (General 
Graham  having  been  wounded  and  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  enemy)  in  whose  support  the  Second  New 
Hampshire  and  Seventh  New  Jersey  went.  Captain 
Smith  says :  "  At  this  time  the  Sixth  New  Jersey 
Volunteers,  Lieutenant- Colonel  Gilkyson  command 
ing,  and  Fortieth  New  York  Regiment,  Colonel  Egan 
commanding,  came  to  our  support.  These  regiments 
marched  down  the  gully,  fighting  like  tigers,  exposed 
to  a  terrific  fire  of  musketry,  and  when  within  one 
hundred  yards  of  the  rebel  line  the  Fourth  Maine, 
which  still  held  the  hill,  were  forced  to  retreat.  Very 
soon  afterward  the  Fortieth  New  York  and  Sixth 
New  Jersey  Regiments  were  compelled  to  follow." 

The  Eleventh  New  Jersey  Regiment,  Colonel  Rob 
ert  McAllister  commanding,  of  Carr's  brigade,  was 
also  heavily  engaged  in  the  dreadful  conflict  which 
followed  the  impetuous  charge  of  Barksdale's  brigade, 


238  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


as  it  broke  through  the  lines  at  the  Peach  Orchard. 
They  heroically  braved  the  tempest  of  shot  and  shell 
which  ploughed  through  their  ranks,  and  the  heavy 
casualty  list  attests  their  unwavering  conduct  during 
this  dreadful  ordeal.  General  McAllister,  in  a  recent 
letter  to  the  author,  thus  describes  the  scene : 

"We  (the  Eleventh  New  Jersey  Volunteers)  were 
in  front  of  the  apple  orchard  at  the  Smith  house, 
along  the  Emmetsburg  road.  During  this  heavy  artil 
lery  firing— we  not  being  actively  engaged — I  ordered 
my  men  to  lie  down.  The  shot  and  shell  played  over 
our  heads  and  through  the  apple  trees  in  our  rear, 
carrying  the  branches  through  the  air  like  chaff.  The 
gunners  and  horses  of  our  artillery  were  rapidly  cut 
down.  If  the  destruction  of  life  could  have  been  left 
out  of  mind  I  would  have  considered  the  scene  grand 
beyond  description.  So  exciting  was  it  that  I  could 
not  keep  lying  down.  I  had  to  jump  up  and  watch 
the  grand  duel.  In  about  half  an  hour  the  artillery 
ceased  and  the  first  charge  of  the  rebel  infantry  was 
made  in  my  front.  We  prepared  to  receive  the 
charge.  I  ordered  my  men  to  '  Fire/  I  was  on  the 
right  of  my  regiment.  As  the  rebels  advanced  our 
pickets  came  into  our  lines,  and  we  received  the 
charge.  I  was  wounded  while  passing  from  the  right 
to  the  centre  of. my  regiment — severely  wounded  by 
a  minie  ball  passing  through  my  left  leg  and  a  shell 
striking  my  right  foot.  I  did  not  see  a  single  man  in 
the  regiment  flinch  or  show  the  least  cowardice  under 
that  terrific  cannonading  or  the  fierce  charge  which 
we  met." 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  239 

The  Eleventh  was  assailed  on  the  right  by  Wilcox's 
brigade,  and  the  charge  by  Barksdale  at  the  Peach 
Orchard  uncovered  its  left.  To  meet  his  attack  the 
regiment  was  directed  by  General  Carr  to  change 
front  by  bringing  the  left  to  the  rear,  which  movement 
was  as  orderly  and  as  handsomely  executed  under  the 
terrible  fire  to  which  it  was  exposed,  as  though  on 
parade.  This  brought  the  Eleventh  directly  in  the  path 
of  Barksdale's  advance.  Barksdale  was  mounted  upon 
a  splendid  horse  and  was  conspicuous  by  wearing  a  red 
fez.  He  rode  to  the  right  and  foot  of  his  brigade, 
with  ringing  voice  and  waving  sword  urging  his  men 
on,  and  General  Carr,  recognizing  the  worth  of  this 
leader's  example  and  enthusiasm  sent  an  aide  to  the 
commanding  officer  of  the  Eleventh,  directing  him  to 
bring  down  the  mounted  officer.  Company  H,  com 
manded  by  Captain  Ira  W.  Cory  \vas  ordered  to  direct 
its  entire  fire  at  Barksdale,  and  he  fell  pierced  (as  it  was 
afterwards  ascertained)  by  five  balls. 

The  change  of  front  to  meet  Barksdale's  charge 
brought  the  Eleventh  to  the  foot  of. the  slope  in  rear 
of  the  Smith  house,  and  there  occurred  its  greatest 
loss,  the  casualties  among  the  officers  being  unusually 
large.  Colonel  McAllister  fell  severely  wounded  just 
as  he  gave  the  command.  Major  Philip  Kearney,  the 
next  in  command,  soon  received  a  shot  in  the  knee,  and 
spinning  around  like  a  top  fell,  ten  paces  away. 
Captain  Luther  Martin,  of  Company  D,  the  senior 
officer,  was  notified  to  take  the  command,  but  before  he 
had  time  to  realize  the  responsibility  of  his  position, 


240  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


was  killed.  Captain  D.  B.  Logan  of  Company  H,  who 
succeeded  him,  also  fell  severely  wounded,  and  four 
men  who  were  taking  him  to  the  rear  were  all  shot 
down  before  they  could  reach  a  place  of  safety  and 
Captain  Logan  killed.  Captain  Andrew  H.  Ackerman, 
of  Company  C,  then  assumed  command  and  he,  too, 
soon  fell  dead.  The  regiment  was  being  cut  up  at  a 
frightful  rate,  and  began  falling  back.  To  check  this 
movement  Corporal  Thomas  Johnson  of  Company  I, 
was  ordered  to  take  the  colors — two  color-bearers  had 
already  been  shot — and  plant  them  twenty  paces  to  the 
front.  He  did  so  and  remained  there  kneeling  until 
ordered  back,  when  the  regiment  moved  with  the  line 
of  battle  to  a  position  some  distance  to  the  rear,  where 
it  halted  behind  a  hedge. 

The  casualties  in  the  Eleventh  were  heavy — over 
fifcy  per  cent,  of  the  number  who  went  into  action. 
They  were  as  follows : 

FIELD   AND    STAFF. 

Wounded — Colonel  Robert  McAllister,  Major  Philip 
J.  Kearney  (died  August  9,  1863),  Adjutant  John 
Schoonover. 

COMPANY   A. 

Wounded—  Corporal  Tyler  L.  Haring  (died  July  4), 
First  Sergeant  Joseph  Burns,  Corporal  George  H. 
Johnson,  Emmet  Burke,  Christopher  Snyder,  Robert 
E.  Mayo,  William  H.  Weaver,  Nathan  E.  Wappen- 
stein,  Archibald  Patten,  Isaac  Harlow,  Daniel  L. 
Snider,  Henry  McMahon. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


241 


COMPANY   B. 

Woiinded  —  First  Lieutenant  William  S.  Provost, 
First  Sergeant  William  Hand,  Corporal  Charles  A. 
Voorhees  (loss  of  both  eyes),  Corporal  Thaddeus 
Doane,  Corporal  Andrew  Webster,  John  H.  Rue  (died 
July  19),  Benjamin  F.  Jackson  (died  July  7),  Albert 
Oss,  William  H.  Smith,  Fidelle  Haase,  J.  A.  Lowther, 
Samuel  Stacker,  Jacob  Van  Pelt  (died  July  9),  John 
Voorhees. 

COMPANY   C. 

Killed  —  Captain  Andrew  H.  Ackerman,  Sergeant 
Corum  Righter,  Joseph  Cheston,  John  Clark,  Jr. 

Wounded — First  Lieutenant  John  B.  Fassett,  Color- 
Sergeant  David  Schafer,  Corporal  Amos  Rockhill, 
John  Lindsey,  Franklin  Armstrong,  Richard  Howell, 
James  K.  Webb,  John  Crane,  Charles  Stevenson,  Peter 
Cogill. 

Missing — Charles  Purdan. 

COMPANY   D. 

Killed — Captain  Luther  Martin,  Corporal  Isaac  A. 
Hendershot,  Randolph  Merriman. 

Wounded — Lieutenant  Sidney  M.  Layton,  Corporal 
Manuel  Runyon,  Richard  Burtrone,  Edward  Spell- 
man,  Theodore  Waller,  David  C.  Keve. 

Missing—  Edward  B.  Nelson,  James  Beattie  (reported 
died  July  2),  Frederick  C.  Tuers  (reported  died  July  3). 

COMPANY   E. 

Killed — Thomas  Tinney. 

Wounded—  Second    Lieutenant    Silas    W.  Volk,    Ser- 
16 


242  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

geant  Eliphalet  Sturdevant  (died  July  13),  Corporal 
Absalom  Talmadge,  Corporal  Elisha  F.  Rose,  Corporal 
Edward  J.  Kinney,  Charles  Bowman,  James  F.  Gibson, 
Benjamin  H.  Joinier,  James  King,  Samuel  W.  Morse, 
Thomas  Scattergood,  John  H.  Wilson,  Jacob  Miller 
(also  missing),  Joseph  W.  Walton. 
Missing — David  Daley. 

COMPANY   F. 

Killed — John  L.  Cozzins. 

Wounded  —  Captain  William  H.  Lloyd,  First  Lieu 
tenant  Edwin  R.  Good,  First  Sergeant  Benjamin  F. 
Morehouse,  Sergeant  Thomas  D.  White,  Sergeant 
James  C.  White,  Sergeant  John  F.  Bartine,  Corporal 
George  W.  Morton,  Corporal  Charles  Dilks,  Corporal 
Edward  White,  Corporal  William  H.  Terhune,  Edward 
Powers,  James  Thompson,  Ephraim  Robbins,  William 
Collins,  Miller  H.  Lewis. 

COMPANY   G. 

Killed — George  S.  Bird,  George  H.  Bunting,  Henry 
Elbertson,  Michael  Goff,  Stewart  Parent,  Peter 
Robins. 

Wounded—  Sergeant  O.  F.  Hollo  way,  Sergeant  Ferdi 
nand  W.  Krug,  Corporal  George  Holloway,  Corporal 
Israel  Nixon,  Corporal  Smith  H.  Eldredge,  Charles  A. 
Koenig,  Thomas  Lowry,  George  A.  McGuire,  George 
F.  Sever,  Chapman  Marcellus,  William  Emmons  (priso 
ner  of  war),  Thomas  Foutch,  Abijah  Thompson,  John 
Lloyd,  Joseph  Fowler,  Thomas  Kelly  (also  missing). 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG   CAMPAIGN.  243 

COMPANY    H. 

Killed—  Captain  Dorastus  B.  Logan,  Edward  Barber. 

Wounded  —  Second  Lieutenant  William  E.  Axtell, 
Sergeant  J.  V.  Lanterman,  Joshua  Barber,  Joseph  L. 
Decker,  Bartley  Owen,  John  C.  Nutt,  John  J.  Sites, 
Timothy  K.  Pruden,  Patrick  King,  William  Halsey. 

COMPANY     I. 

Killed—  Corporal  James  P.  Stryker,  Silas  D.  Clark. 

Wounded-- Sergeant  Thomas  J.  Thompson,  Corporal 
Richard  J.  Merrill,  Corporal  E.  M.  Robinson,  Corporal 
John  W.  Joline  (died  August  17,  1863),  Corporal 
Michael  Cooney,  Francis  Wassimer,  William  H.  Luce, 
James  Finnons,  Stacey  Babcock,  John  M.  Errickson, 
Alfred  Barcalo,  Daniel  J.  Buckley,  George  Cham- 
berlin,  Henry  L.  Molleson,  Jacob  L.  Chevalier. 

Missing—  John  Desbrow,  Hugh  Downey  (died  at 
Andersonville,  September  19,  1864.) 

COMPANY    K. 

Killed— Corporal  Jeremiah  O'Brien,  Corporal  W.  H. 
Morgan,  Martin  Bekie,  Henry  Kring. 

Wounded—  First  Sergeant  Charles  C.  Reilley,  Ser 
geant  Edward  Appleton,  Corporal  Amon  J.  Foote, 
John  Ardner,  William  Carson,  Jr.,  Frederick  Soldner, 
John  A.  Labort,  Gersham  J.  Froate. 

RECAPITULATION. 

Killed.     Wounded.     Missing.     Total. 

Officers .*. 3  IO  J3 

Enlisted  Men -         20  113  7  140 

Total..  23  123  7  153 


244  NE  W  JERSE  Y  TROOPS 


General  Joseph  B.  Carr,  commanding  the  First 
Brigade,  Second  Division,  Third  Army  Corps,  in  his 
report  calls  the  attention  of  the  General  commanding 
the  division  to  the  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct  of 
Colonel  Robert  McAllister,  commanding  Eleventh 
New  Jersey  Volunteers,  Major  Philip  J.  Kearney, 
seriously  wounded  (since  dead),  Adjutant  John  Schoon- 
over,  who  was  twice  wounded,  but  remained  in  com 
mand  of  his  regiment,  and  to  Lieutenant  John  Older- 
shaw,  acting  aide-de-camp,  to  whom  his  sincere  thanks 
are  extended  for  valuable  services  rendered. 

The  fighting  had  been  furious.  Ward,  on  the  left  at 
the  Devil's  Den,  had  borne  the  heaviest  part  of  it  for 
nearly  two  hours,  and  the  onslaught  of  Benning  with 
Anderson's  brigade  finally  forced  him  back  with  the 
loss  of  three  guns  of  Smith's  battery,  and  a  casualty 
list  of  frightful  proportions.  The  attack  on  De  Tro- 
briand  had  caused  his  line  to  recede.  His  ranks  were 
frightfully  decimated.  The  artillery  also  fell  back  a 
short  distance  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  the  advancing 
enemy,  and  if  Kershaw  had  been  able  to  press  a  little 
stronger  success  would  have  crowned  his  efforts.  But 
just  at  this  moment,  when  defeat  seemed  certain  Cald- 
well's  splendid  division  of  the  Second  Corps  arrived  on 
the  field,  and  Ayres'  Regulars  of  the  Fifth  Corps 
followed  in  front  of  Little  Round  Top.  Another  effort 
to  preserve  the  line  was  to  be  made.  Ayres  detached 
Weed's  brigade — to  which  the  One  "Hundred  and 
Fortieth  New  York  belonged — to  reinforce  the 
exhausted  band  on  Little  Round  Top,  where  he 


MONUMENT  6TH  REGIMENT  N.  J.  VOLS.,  INF. 


246 


NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


\ 

^fiiS£  } 


arrived  just  in  time  to  learn  that  the  gallant  Vincent 
and  the  brave  O'Rorke  had  both  been  killed,  and  their 
troops  menaced  by  another  assault  from  Hood's 
persistent  veterans.  Moving  to  the  right  Hood  sought 
to  turn  the  flank  of  the  Twentieth  Maine.  He  opened 
a  sharp  fire  along  the  whole  line,  and  Weed,  who  was 
standing  near  Hazlett's  battery  encouraging  his  men, 
received  a  mortal  wound,  while  Hazlett  in  stooping 

down  to  hear  his 
dying  words,  was 
struck  by  the  bullet 
of  a  sharp-shooter 
and  fell  upon  the 
dead  body  of  his 
friend  a  corpse.  The 
enemy  moved  to  the 

J 

right  to  get  in  Cham 
berlain's  rear,  and  in 
so  doing  was  com 
pelled  to  weaken  his 
line.  Chamberlain 
noticing  the  fact 
boldly  charged  upon  the  attacking  force  capturing 
over  three  hundred  of  them  and  before  they  could 
recover  from  their  surprise  at  this  seeming  piece  of 
audacity,  Chamberlain,  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet 
forced  the  remainder  down  the  mountain  side.  It  was 
a  glorious  achievement,  but  only  one  of  many  of  like 
nature  which  characterized  the  battle  of  Gettysburg. 
While  this  conflict  tor  Little  Round  Top  was  going 


L 


,*   FioKft    for     LITTLE    ROUND    TOP 
JULV    2.     t_f*<r3_..          . 


IN  7 "HE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


247 


on,  Caldwell's  division  was  advancing-  to  meet  the 
victorious  troops  o-f  Anderson  and  Kershaw,  who  had 
driven  back  but  had  not  penetrated  the  line  of  Birney 
and  Barnes.  The  "  Irish  Brigade "  commanded  by 
Colonel  Kelley,  formed  amid  the  dreadful  sounds  of 
the  conflict,  and  before  going  into  action,  the  chaplain, 
a  Catholic  priest,  ascended  a  rocky  bowlder  and  pro 
nounced  a  general  absolution  for  the  whole  brigade. 
At  the  word  of  command  they  dashed  impetuously 
upon  Anderson's  line  and  brought  his  troops  to  a  halt. 
Cross  and  Zook  and  Burke's  brigades  in  turn  assailed 
the  enemy,  but  a  movement  by  Wofford,  who  boldly 
dashed  into  the  line  in  his  eagerness  to  aid  Barksdale, 
who  had  advanced  in  two  lines  of  battle  against  the 
Peach  Orchard,  compelled  Birney,  Humphreys,  Barnes 
and  Caldwell's  divisions  to  re-form  on  the  main  line, 
and  relinquish  the  Emmetsburg  road  and  the  whole 
of  the  ground  back  to  Little  Round  Top,  to  the  enemy. 
General  Meade  had  sent  for  reinforcements  from  all 
parts  of  the  battle-field,  and  troops  from  the  First, 
Sixth  and  Twelfth  Corps  were  promptly  moving  to 
the  scene.  Hill  had  begun  a  lively  cannonade  on  the 
position  of  Cemetery  Hill  to  which  the  batteries  there 
responded  vigorously  and  effectively.  Meade  in  his 
great  desire  to  preserve  the  left  had  stripped  the 
right  of  his  line,  by  ordering  the  whole  of  the 
Twelfth  Corps  to  the  support  of  Sickles,  but  to  this 
movement  General  Slocum  warmly  protested.  At 
his  earnest  solicitation  Green's  brigade  of  Geary's 
division  was  permitted  to  remain  on  Gulp's  Hill,  and 


248 


NE  W  fERSE  Y  TROOPS 


Us 

of 


00. 

oo^ 

DDU 


by  extending  his  several  regiments  in  a  thin  line  along 
the  works  was  able  to  occupy  a  good  portion  of  them, 
but  not  all.     At  half-past  seven  o'clock  Ruger's  divi 
sion  took  up  position  in  line  with  Doubleday's  division 
of  the  First  Corps  and  Birney's  of  the  Third  Corps, 
forming  in  two  lines  of   battle,  Colgrove's  brigade  in 
front,  and   McDougall  in  rear.      Lockwood's  brigade, 
which  had  arrived  earlier,  was  led  by  General  Meade 
into  the  very  jaws  of  the  enemy,  and   by  their  suc 
cessful  charge,  enabled 
the  new  line  to  become 
more  firmly  established. 
This  movement  brought 
the    Thirteenth    New 
Jersey  Regiment,   Col. 
Ezra  A.  Carman,  to  the 
scene  of  conflict.     The 
Thirteenth    had    been 
massed    on    the    south 
easterly  slope  of  Gulp's 
Hill  at  an  early  hour  in 
the  morning,  when  Meade's  orders  to  charge  Ewell's 
line  had  been  given,  and  on  the  abandonment  of  that 
scheme,  relieved    the    Third    Wisconsin    Regiment   in 
McAllister's   wood   to   the   south  of   Spangler's   Run. 
The    Twelfth    Corps  had    thrown   up  a  line  of   small 
breastworks   along   the   crest   of   Gulp's    Hill,   and   in 
McAllister's    woods,    and    when    ordered    to    the    left 
vacated  them  all  except  that  part  of  the  line  held  by 
Green's  brigade  of  Geary's  division  on  the  summit  of 
Gulp's  Hill 


n 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  249 

Meade  had  called  upon  every  corps  in  the  army, 
during  the  day,  except  the  Eleventh,  for  reinforce 
ments  to  Sickles'  line,  and  they  all  moved  promptly 
to  the  left,  where  they  were  put  in  at  every  exposed 
point.  The  wounding  of  Sickles,  put  Birney  in  tem 
porary  command  of  the  Third  Corps,  but  by  order  of 
General  Meade,  Hancock  was  placed  in  command  of 
the  corps  in  addition  to  his  own.  Hancock  performed 
herculean  service.  His  watchful  eye  detected  every 
weak  spot  in  the  line  and  he  promptly  protected  it. 
The  attack  culminated  by  the  effort  of  Wilcox,  Perry 
and  Wright's  brigades  to  break  through  Humphreys' 
line,  and  Wright  succeeded  in  piercing  the  centre  of 
the  Federal  position  by  the  capture  of  four  guns. 
Wilcox  was  almost  in  a  line  with  him,  but  General 
Newton  sent  forward  Doubleday's  division  of  the 
First  Corps  who  reached  Webb's  line  in  time  to  see 
Wright  falling  back,  but  they  pursued  him  sharply 
and  recaptured  six  guns  which  had  been  in  the  enemy's 
possession.  By  Hancock's  own  order  the  First  Minne 
sota  Regiment  bravely  attacked  Wilcox,  and  drove 
him  back  as  far  as  the  Emmetsburg  road,  but  with  a 
loss  of  half  its  men. 

Never  before  had  the  artillery  branch  of  the  service 
endured  such  a  tremendous  strain.  The  loss  in  horses 
and  men  was  unusually  heavy,  and  the  abandonment  of 
so  many  guns  by  the  Federals  shows  with  what 
desperation  the  fighting  was  carried  on.  Batteries 
were  kept  at  work  until  there  were  not  left  enough 
men  and  horses  to  draw  them  away,  and  Bigelow's 
battery,  which  took  position  near  the  Trostle  house, 


< 


LONGSTREET    IN     1'oSITION     IOK    HIS    ATTACK    ON    SlCKl.KS. 

The  map  on  the  opposite  page  shows  the  Union  line  after  Sickles'  defeat. 
INION,  WHITE:   CONFEDERATE,  ni  ACK. 


^>kj5flfr1ftfi 


252  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


was  deliberately  sacrificed,  the  men  firing  canister 
until  they  could  no  longer  load  owing  to  the  close 
approach  of  the  enemy.  Clark's  battery  ( "  B  "  First 
New  Jersey)  was  in  the  very  thickest  of  all  this  car 
nage.  When  Kershaw's  line  penetrated  into  the  Peach 
Orchard  a  South  Carolina  regiment  moved  boldly  up  to 
Clark's  pieces.  A  Pennsylvania  regiment  lying  in  the 
u  sunken  road  "  concealed,  rose  up  and  poured  a  deadly 
volley  into  their  faces  which  caused  them  to  retire  in 
confusion.  From  2  p.  m.  until  6.30  Clark's  battery  was 
in  continual  action,  and  when  at  the  retiring  of  the 
infantry  column,  it  was  compelled  to  fall  back,  one 
caisson  and  one  caisson-body  were  left  on  the  field 
there  being  no  horses  to  draw  them  off.  The  loss  in 
the  battery  was  2  men  killed,  15  wounded,  3  missing,  2 
of  whom  were  taken  prisoners.  Seventeen  horses  were 
killed  and  five  so  badly  disabled  that  they  were 
abandoned.  The  casualties  were  as  follows  : 

Killed—  Thomas  N.  Post,  Jr.,  Rensallaer  Cassel- 
man. — 2. 

Wounded — Sergeant  Leander  McChesney,  Privates 
Richard  S.  Price,  Joseph  M.  Morris,  1  Hiram  A. 
Grover,  '2  Hiram  Tierney,  3  Edson  E.  Sheppard,  Patrick 
F.  Castello,  William  Riley,  Robert  Stuart,  4John 
Truly,  Anthony  Collier,  Joseph  Baker,  Chileon  D. 
Richards,  Leopold  Smally,  'Stephen  McGowan. — 15. 

1  Hiram  A.  Grover,  '-'  Hiram  Tierney,  of  the  Second  Michigan 
Volunteers;  3  Edson  E.  Sheppard,  4  John  Truly,  of  the  Sixty-third 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers;  and  5  Stephen  McGowan  of  the  Ninety- 
ninth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  were  temporarily  attached  to  the 
battery,  and  were  not  members  of  it. 


A\r  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN,  253 

Missing — Privates  Henry  C.  Buffum,  Henry  E. 
Davis,  Daniel  W.  Laws — all  prisoners  of  war. — 3. 

Colonel  McGilvery,  who  commanded  the  First 
Volunteer  Brigade,  Artillery  Reserve,  describes  the 
artillery  fighting  at  this  part  of  the  line  : 

"  A  New  Jersey  battery  (Clark's  "  B "  First  New 
Jersey  Artillery)  immediately  on  the  right  of  the  two 
Massachusetts  batteries,  was  receiving  the  most  of  the 
fire  of  two  or  more  rebel  batteries.  Hart's  Fifteenth 
New  York  Independent  Battery  reporting  at  that  time 
I  placed  it  in  position  in  a  peach  orchard  on  the  right 
and  a  little  to  the  front  of  the  New  Jersey  battery. 
The  four  batteries  already  mentioned  presented  a  front 
at  nearly  right  angles  with  the  position  occupied  by 
our  troops,  facing  toward  our  left,  the  fire  of  which  I 
concentrated  on  single  rebel  batteries,  and  five  or  more 
were  driven  in  succession  from  their  positions. 

"  At  about  a  quarter  to  six  the  enemy's  infantry 
gained  possession  of  the  woods  immediately  on  the  left 
of  my  line  of  batteries  and  our  infantry  fell  back  both 
on  the  right  and  left,  when  great  disorder  ensued  on 
both  flanks  of  the  line  of  batteries.  At  this  period  of 
the  action  all  of  the  batteries  were  exposed  to  a  warm 
infantry  fire  from  both  flanks  and  front,  whereupon  1 
ordered  them  to  retire  two  hundred  and  fifty  yards 
and  renew  their  fire.  The  New  Jersey  battery  was 
relieved,  being  out  of  ammunition,  and  retired  to  the 
rear.  Captain  Bigelow  retired  by  prolonge,  firing 
canister,  and  with  Phillips  and  Thompson  on  the  right, 


254  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

in  their  new  position  checked  the  enemy  for  a  short 
time." 

During  the  fighting  on  Sickles'  front  the  enemy's 
skirmishers  kept  up  an  annoying  fire  upon  the  Second 
Corps'  line.  Their  reserves  occupied  an  old  building, 
known  as  the  Bliss  barn,  which  also  commanded  the 
line,  and  about  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  General 
Hayes  directed  Colonel  Smyth,  commanding  the  Sec 
ond  Brigade,  to  dislodge  them.  Colonel  Smyth  called 
upon  the  Twelfth  New  Jersey  Regiment,  whereupon 
the  Avhole  regiment  arose  to  volunteer,  when  he  indi 
cated  that  a  detachment  of  four  companies  would  be 
sufficient  for  the  work  in  hand.  The  barn  mentioned 
was  of  brick,  was  five  hundred  and  eighty-seven  yards 
from  the  line,  and  it  and  the  line  of  the  Twelfth's 
advance  were  so  completely  covered  by  the  fire  of 
the  enemy's  skirmishers  and  artillery,  that  it  was 
known  that  serious  loss  must  result  from  the  attack. 
Major  John  T.  Hill  detached  for  this  service  compa 
nies  B,  H,  E  and  G,  under  command  of  Captain 
Samuel  B.  Jobes,  the  ranking  officer. 

The  column  moved  out  by  the  flank  to  the  right 
of  the  Bryan  barn ;  then,  formed  by  company  into 
line.  As  the  rear  cleared  the  wall  the  movement  came 
under  the  eyes  of  the  whole  brigade  and  of  part  of 
Gibbons'  division,  and  of  Robinson's  division  of  the 
First  Corps  upon  the  right,  and  now  in  close  formation 
the  Twelfth  begins  its  march.  The  artillery  of  Hill'^ 
Corps  opened  upon  the  line  at  once,  the  enemy's  skirm 
ishers  poured  in  an  annoying  fire,  his  reserve  from  the 


MONUMENT  yTH  REGIMENT  N.  J.  VOLS.,  INF. 


256  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

the  shelter  of  the  barn  thinned  its  ranks,  Jobes  was 
wounded,  Captain  Horsfalls,  of  Company  E,  was  killed, 
and  40  men  out  of  the  200  were  stricken  down  ;  but  there 
was  no  wavering  in  that  brave  column  of  Jerseymen. 

Bringing  their  arms  to  the  right  shoulder,  and 
taking  the  double  quick,  with  ringing  cheers  they 
burst  through  the  enemy's  skirmish  line  with  the 
might  of  a  giant,  and  in  one  bold  mass  closed  down 
upon,  surrounded  and  captured  the  Bliss  barn,  with 
the  enemy's  picket  reserve  of  ninety-two  men  and 
seven  officers,  and  bringing  their  prisoners  with  them, 
regained  our  lines. 

No  bolder  attack  was  made  upon  that  well-contested 
field,  and  it  deservedly  gave  the  regiment  a  reputa 
tion  for  gallantry  which  it  never  lost. 

The  battle  on  the  left  had  been  a  bloody  one.  Long- 
street's  men,  nerved  to  their  work  by  the  belief  that 
victory  would  surely  follow  their  assault  and  this  be 
followed  by  the  speedy  ending  of  the  war,  fought  with 
a  valor  and  heroism  unsurpassed  ;  but  they  had  not 
only  the  physical  force  of  the  Union  army  to  contend 
against.  Every  man  in  it  who  handled  a  musket  or 
wielded  a  sabre  felt  that  Lee's  army  was  in  their 
power,  and  never  once  thought  of  defeat.  This  battle 
ground  meant  defeat  for  one  side  or  the  other,  and 
no  man  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  believed  defeat  f 
possible  for  them.  The  driving  in  of  the  First  and 
Eleventh  Corps  the  day  before  had  not  disheartened 
them  ;  but  as  the  news  of  the  rout  at  the  first  battle 
of  Bull  Run  created  a  feeling  throughout  the  North 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  257 

that  the  rebellion  should  be  put  down  at  whatever  cost, 
so  the  defeat  of  these  two  corps  on  the  first  day  of  July 
made  the  determination  of  Meade's  soldiers  to  win, 
all  the  stronger. 

The  fighting  for  the  day  had  not  been  confined 
wholly  to  Sickles'  front,  and  though  Longstreet  had 
failed  to  turn  the  left  of  the  army,  yet  sufficient  ground 
had  been  wrested  from  the  Union  line  to  give  a 
semblance  of  victory  to  his  desperate  efforts.  The 
Third  Corps  had  been  defeated,  but  the  Union  line  of 
battle  was  intact.  A  startling  report,  however,  came 
to  Meade's  ears  from  the  right  of  the  line,  which  he 
had  stripped  to  reinforce  Sickles.  This  was  to  the 
effect  that  Eweli  had  advanced  and  occupied  the  posi 
tion  vacated  by  the  Twelfth  Corps  ! 


CORRECTION.— In  the  final  revision  of  the  casualty 
lists  of  the  regiments  engaged  in  the  second  day's  fight 
ing,  certain  changes  were  made  which  were  not  car 
ried  forward  in  the  recapitulation,  and  this  omission 
was  not  discovered  until  too  late  for  correction.  The 
following  tables  show  the  losses  sustained  by  the  sev 
eral  New  Jersey  troops  on  that  occasion,  compared 
with  the  number  reported  present  for  duty  on  June 
30.  From  the  latter  an  allowance  of  fifteen  per  cent, 
for  detailed  men  should  be  made  to  get  at  the  actual 
number  present  for  action  : 


258 


NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


CASUALTIES    ON   JULY    2. 


OFFICERS. 

ENLISTED    MEN. 

Aggregate.  \\ 

•d 

JH 
5 

Wounded. 

*c3 
o 
H 

| 

s 

Wounded. 

Missing. 

13 
o 

H 

Battery  "  B  ''  ist  N.  J.  Artillery 
Fifth  Regiment   ... 

2 

5 
3 
9 
7 
10 

7 
3 

10 

7 
13 

2 
TO 
I 
14 

8 

20 

1*5 

61 
29 

77 
33 
H3 

16 

8 

12 

I 

7 

20 
87 
38 
103 
42 
I4O 

20 
94 
41 
H3 
49 
153 

470 

Sixth  Regiment  

Seventh  Regiment. 

I 

Eighth  Regiment  

Eleventh  Regiment  

3 

Total  

6 

34 

40 

55 

328 

47 

430 

PRESENT   FOR   DUTY   JUNE    30. 


OFFICERS. 

MEN. 

TOTAL. 

Battery  <1B"  ist  N.  J.  Artillery,  
Fifth    Regiment 

4 

139 
oofi 

143 

Sixth  Regiment  

*3 

M 

20-7 

2  l6 

Seventh  Regiment... 

22 

Eighth  Regiment  

1  ^ 

JUV 

TSe 

331 

TnQ 

Eleventh  Regiment  

10D 

190 

*75 

Total  

>414 

CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  SECOND  DAY'S  BATTLE  CONCLUDED  -  -  THE 
TWELFTH  CORPS  POSITION  ATTACKED  BY  EWELL'S 
TROOPS — GREEN'S  HEROIC  DEFENCE — THE  ATTACK 
ON  CEMETERY  HILL  -  -  A  FIERCE  AND  DEADLY 
HAND-TO-HAND  STRUGGLE  -  -  RETURN  OF  THE 

TWELFTH      CORPS     TO     THE     RIGHT     DURING      THE 
NIGHT. 

GENERAL  LEE'S  orders  for  a  simultaneous 
attack  on  the  right  and  left  of  the  Union  line 
miscarried,  but  had  they  been  promptly  acted 
upon  he  would  not  have  been  any  more  successful. 
It  would  have  prevented  the  stripping  of  Slocum's 
line,  which  would  have  made  the  Union  position  on 
the  right  still  more  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  carry, 
and  the  Sixth  Corps  could  have  been  utilized  for  the 
duty  which  called  the  Twelfth  Corps  away.  Had 
Longstreet  turned  the  Federal  left  and  got  in  rear  of 
the  Union  army,  that  would  no  doubt  have  made  a 
great  difference  in  the  situation,  but  the  left  of  Meade's 
line  did  not  rest  where  Lee  thought  it  was,  and  when 
after  the  most  stubborn  and  heroic  resistance  ever 
made  by  any  body  of  troops,  the  Third  Corps  was 
forced  back,  it  was  not  upon  a  demoralized  body  of 


260  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


men,  but  to  the  original  line  of  battle,  to  defend 
which  Meade  had  more  troops  at  command  than  could 
be  used.  It  was  really  better  for  General  Lee  that 
the  attack  by  Ewell  was  delayed,  but  the  advantage 
he  had  gained  was  lost  by  the  ignorance  which  caused 
Johnson's  division  to  halt  all  night  long  in  the  vacated 
works  of  the  Twelfth  Corps. 

It  seems  strange  to  those  who  have  always  consid 
ered  General  Lee,  par  excellence,  the  one  great  soldier 
developed  by  the  war,  that  he  should  have  left  Ewell 
wholly  dependent  upon  his  sense  of  hearing  to  fix  the 
precise  time  of  his  attack.  The  instructions  to  Ewell 
were  to  advance  as  soon  as  he  heard  the  firing  of 
Longstreet's  guns.  The  time  fixed  for  the  latter's 
assault,  after  innumerable  delays,  was  four  o'clock, 
and  at  that  hour  the  fighting  had  begun  in  dead 
earnest  along  Birney's  front.  But  another  providen 
tial  circumstance  favored  the  Union  army.  The 
wind  blowing  directly  from  Ewell  carried  the  sound 
of  Longstreet's  artillery  and  the  Union  batteries  reply 
ing  to  it,  to  the  southwest,  so  that  he  did  not  hear 
it  at  all !  Nearly  one  hundred  pieces  of  artillery 
on  both  sides  kept  up  a  continuous  and  rapid  firing, 
not  two  miles  from  Ewell's  front,  and  the  deafening 
roar  of  musketry  which  accompanied  it,  made  a  noise 
loud  enough  to  have  drowned  the  sound  of  a  dozen 
Niagaras,  but  Ewell  might  as  well  have  been  a  deaf 
man  on  that  occasion.  His  silence  led  Meade  into 
the  false  belief  that  no  danger  was  to  be  apprehended 
from  that  quarter,  and  he  had  therefore  -stripped  his 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  26l 

right,  instead  of  utilizing-  his  reserves,  to  reinforce  the 
threatened  left. 

Ruger's  division  of  the  Twelfth  Corps,  on  it  arrival 
at  the  left,  formed  in  two  lines  of  battle  west  of  the 
Taneytown  road  ;  while  Geary,  who  evidently  misun 
derstood  the  orders  given  him,  moved  to  the  extreme 
right  and  halted  on  the  Baltimore  pike,  east  of  Rock 
Creek,  two  miles  from  the  fighting  on  the  left  and  at 
least  a  mile  to  the  right  of  his  position  on  Gulp's  Hill, 
with  no  enemy  in  his  front. 

About  six  o'clock  Hill  opened  with  his  batteries  in 
pursuance  of  the  original  plan,  on  the  Union  centre, 
and  Ewell,  hearing  his  guns,  formed  for  the  proposed 
attack.  His  line,  it  will  be  remembered,  extended 
from  Benner's  Hill  on  the  left  which  was  occupied  by 
Johnson's  division,  Early 's  division  being  to  his  right 
and  fronting  Cemetery  Hill  and  the  ridge  connecting 
it  with  Gulp's  Hill,  while  Rodes'  division  occupied  the 
streets  of  Gettysburg,  and  extending  to  the  right 
fronted  Cemetery  Hill  proper.  It  is  also  urged  as  a 
reason  why  Ewell  did  not  sooner  advance,  that  he  had 
sent  two  of  his  brigades  on  a  wild-goose  chase  on  the 
York  road,  because  of  a  report  that  a  body  of  Federal 
infantry  had  moved  in  that  direction,  and  he  was 
waiting  for  their  return.  However,  about  seven 
o'clock,  just  as  the  Twelfth  Corps  was  vacating  its 
line,  Johnson's  division  was  moving  down  to  Rock 
Creek,  his  march  being  concealed  by  the  thick  woods 
into  which  he  entered.  The  nature  of  the  ground  was 
unfavorable  for  the  use  of  artillery  and  Johnson  left 
his  on  Benner's  Hill. 


262  NE  W  JERSE  V  TROOPS 

The  line  of  works  constructed  by  the  First  Brigade 
of  Ruger's  division  and  by  the  One  Hundred  and 
Seventh  New  York  and  Thirteenth  New  Jersey  Regi 
ments  of  Colgrove's  brigade,  were  practically  defence 
less.  General  Green  had  extended  his  brigade  in  a 
thin  line  to  cover  the  position  vacated  by  Geary  and 
could  furnish  little  more  than  a  weak  skirmish  line  for 
the  defence  of  the  entire  slope.  He  also  established  a 
picket  line  along  the  bank  of  the  stream,  but  Johnson's 
movements  were  unperceived  by  them. 

Gulp's  I  till,  which  Johnson  was  ordered  to  assault  is 
a  thickly  wooded  eminence,  and  the  approaches  to 
the  summit  are  obstructed  by  numerous  rocks  and 
immense  bowlders.  The  troops  of  Williams  had  util 
ized  many  of  these  rocks  as  a  means  of  defence  by  con 
necting  them  with  a  line  of  works  made  of  logs,  stones, 
branches  of  trees  and  whatever  could  be  utilized  for 
the  purpose.  This  afforded  ample  protection  against 
the  musketry  fire  of  an  infantry  column  and  would 
have  been  difficult  to  carry. 

Johnson's  line  advanced  with  Steuart  on  the  left, 
Jones  on  his  right,  supported  respectively  by  Williams' 
and  Nichols'  brigades.  Rock  Creek,  which  separated 
them  from  Gulp's  Hill,  is  a  shallow  stream,  and  easily 
forded.  Grossing  boldly  they  soon  drove  in  the  Union 
pickets,  and  Steuart  advanced  to  the  vacated  works  on 
the  south  followed  by  Williams.  These  were  easily 
taken,  but  Jones  who  advanced  to  attack  the  left' of 
Green  met  with  stubborn  opposition.  Green,  how 
ever,  was  hard  pressed.  Steuart  was  on  a  line  with 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG   CAMPAIGN.  263 

his  works,  and  to  prevent  a  flank  attack,  Green 
shortened  his  line  and  extended  it  obliquely  to  the 
west,  and  sent  an  urgent  demand  for  assistance.  The 
fighting  waxed  hotter  and  hotter.  Attacked  by  a  force 
three  times  larger  than  his  own,  he  held  them  all  at 
bay  and  inflicted  severe  injuries  upon  the  enemy. 
Jones  was  badly  wounded  and  Nichols  moved 
promptly  up  to  his  relief.  At  this  time  a  brigade  from 
the  Eleventh  Corps  came  to  Green's  assistance,  and 
Wads  worth  extended  his  line  to  the  right  in  support. 
Night  soon  settled  down  upon  the  scene  and  the  con 
flict  ended  save  by  a  desultory  firing  which  continued 
for  some  time.  ' 

When  Johnson's  division  moved  down  to  the  attack 
on  Gulp's  Hill,  Ewell  ordered  Early  and  Rodes  to 
advance  and  attack  in  their  front.  This  movement, 
which  should  have  been  performed  in  unison  appears 
to  have  been  affected  by  a  misunderstanding  of  orders. 
Early  moved  at  once  with  the  brigades  of  Hays  and 
Hoke  (Avery  commanding),  with  Gordon's  brigade  in 
reserve.  The  Confederate  artillery  on  Benner's  Hill 
opened  fire  upon  the  Union  position,  but  the  batteries 
on  Cemetery  Hill  soon  silenced  it.  As  the  brigades  of 
Early  advanced  to  the  slope  of  the  hill,  their  movement 
was  aided  by  the  houses  and  other  buildings  which 
concealed  them  from  the  Union  line,  and  when  they 
reached  the  ascending  ground  the  batteries  in  their 
front  were  trained  upon  them,  but  the  guns  could  not 
be  depressed  sufficiently  to  do  effective  work. 

It  was  now  eight  o'clock,  and  Rodes  ought  to  have 


264  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

been  in  position  on  the  left  to  assault  there,  but  that 
officer  had  some  difficulty  in  getting  through  the 
streets  of  the  town  to  the  position  he  desired,  and 
lost  thereby  considerable  time.  Advancing  the  bri 
gades  of  Iverson,  Ramseur  and  Doles  toward  the 
western  face  of  Cemetery  Hill  a  short  distance  he 
halted  them,  evidently  intending  to  await  the  result 
of  Early 's  attack.  When  the  brigades  of  Hays  and 
Avery  emerged  on  the  open  ground  to  ascend  the 
slope,  they  brushed  away  Von  Gilsa's  brigade  of  the 
Eleventh  Corps,  and  rushed  for  the  summit.  Their 
left  flank  became  exposed  to  the  Fifth  Maine  Bat 
tery,  which  poured  an  enfilading  fire  down  their 
whole  line,  but  without  checking  them.  In  an  instant 
they  were  among  the  guns  of  Weiderick's  and  Rick- 
ett's  batteries,  capturing  the  former  and  spiking  two 
of  Rickett's  guns.  The  order  had  been  given  to  these 
gallant  artillerists  not  to  retreat  under  any  circum 
stances,  but  to  fight  to  the  last  moment,  and  right 
loyally  they  obeyed.  The  fighting  was  hand-to-hand, 
rammers  being  used  as  clubs,  and  hand-spikes  and 
even  stones,  being  hurled  into  the  faces  of  the  enemy. 
This  movement  of  the  enemy  brought  their  left  flank 
in  front  of  Stevens'  battery,  which  opened  a  terrible 
fire  of  double  canister  upon  them,  and  the  Thirty- 
third  Massachusetts  poured  in,  obliquely  to  their  line, 
a  destructive  musketry  fire,  but  still  they  fought  on 
desperately,  vainly  expecting  Rodes'  division  to  attack 
on  the  other  side.  In  fact  the  Federal  line  was  pre 
pared  for  just  this  sort  of  thing,  and  Hancock  momen- 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


265 


tarily  expected  Rodes'  line  to  advance ;  but  his 
trained  ear  heard  the  desperate  fighting  going  on  to 
the  right  and  rear  of  his  position,  and  as  the  enemy 
in  his  front  remained  stationary,  he  detached  Carroll's 
brigade  to  the  rescue  of  Howard's  guns.  Advancing 
with  a  firm  tread  they  soon  came  in  sight  of  the  bat 
tle  and  moving  rapidly  over  the  hill  plunged  with 
cheers  and  shouts  into  the  midst  of  the  enemy,  who  re 

treated  hastily. 
As  they  w£nt 
flying  down  the 
slope  the  Fed- 
e  r  a  1  batteries 
opened  a  raking 
fire  upon  them 
practically  an 
nihilating  Hays' 
"  Louisiana  Ti 
gers,"  which 
went  into  the 
fight  one  thou 
sand  seven  hun 
dred  and  fifty 
strong  and  returned  with  scarcely  one  hundred  and 
fifty  men!  The  Eleventh  Corps'  line  was  restored, 
and  Carroll's  brigade,  which  did  such  signal  service 
was  by  the  request  of  Howard  permitted  to  remain  on 
that  part  of  the  line. 

The  sound  of  the  desperate  contest  on  the  right  and 
right  centre  reached  the  ears  of  the  Union  troops  on 


266  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


the  left  as  soon  as  the  firing  in  that  quarter  ceased, 
and  about  ten  o'clock  an  order  was  sent  to  Ruger  to 
return  to  his  old  position  on  the  right  as  the  enemy 
were  in  possession  on  the  Twelfth  Corps'  works. 
The  division  promptly  moved,  Colgrove's  brigade 
leading,  and  as  they  neared  Gulp's  Hill  a  skirmish 
line  was  sent  forward  to  feel  the  position  of  the  enemy. 
One  man  was  captured  in  the  old  line  of  works  in 
McAllister's  woods,  and  Company  F  of  the  Second 
Massachusetts  advancing  across  the  open  ground  into 
the  woods  at  the  base  of  Gulp's  Hill  and  near  Spang- 
ler's  spring,  captured  twenty-three  men,  with  whom 
they  returned.  From  these  it  was  ascertained  that 
Steuart's  and  Jones'  brigades  held  the  position.  Filing 
into  McAllister's  woods  the  brigade  sought  their  old 
works,  but  as  it  was  discovered  that  the  position  of 
the  Third  Wisconsin,  which  had  been  occupied  by 
the  Thirteenth  New  Jersey,  and  the  line  along  Rock 
Creek,  would  be  enfiladed  by  the  fire  of  the  enemv,:: 
the  brigade  was  formed  on  a  line  about  fifty  yards 
to  the  rear.  In  taking  this  position  two  companies 

*  Extract  from  Colonel  Hawley's  report:  "  Darkness  coming  on  I 
received  orders  from  you,  sir,  (Colonel  Colgrove)  to  move  out  as  we  had 
marched  in,  and  following  the  regiment  on  my  right  flank  was  marched 
back  to  the  position  which  I  had  spent  the  day  in  fortifying,  and  there 
rested  under  arms.  It  then  being  ascertained  that  the  enemy  had 
advanced  over  our  breastworks  and  occupied  a  rocky,  wooded  hill  on 
my  left,  thus  enfilading  my  position  and  severing  our  line,  by  your 
order  I  took  position  perpendicular  to  my  former  line,  so  as  to  face 
the  enemy's  advance  in  this  position,  and  there  lay  under  arms  for  the 
remainder  of  the  night." 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


267 


of  the  Thirteenth  New  Jersey,  Company  C,  Captain 
David  A.  Ryerson,  and  Company  I,  Captain  Ambrose 
M.  Matthews,  were  refused,  to  connect  with  the  right 
of  the  Second  Massachusetts,  the  rest  of  the  line  of  the 
Thirteenth  running  along  the  edge  of  the  woods 
on  a  rising  piece  .'of  ground  fronting  Rock  Creek.  *The 
line  as  thus  formed  was  as  follows  :  Thirteenth  New 
Jersey  on  the  right,  Second  Massachusetts  centre, 

Third  Wisconsin 
on  the  left,  Twenty- 
seventh  Indiana  in 
reserve.  The  First 
Brigade,  McDou- 
gall's,  formed  on 
the  left  of  Colgrove. 
During  the  night 
also  Geary's  troops 
returned  from  their 
isolated  position  on 
the  Baltimore  pike, 
and  joined  with 
Green's  forces  on  Culp's  Hill.  The  prisoners  brought 
in  by  the  Second  Massachusetts  were  turned  over  to 
the  Thirteenth  New  Jersey  Regiment  and  Company 
D  was  detailed  by  order  of  acting  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Beardsley,  to  conduct  them  to  the  Provost  Marshal  of 
the  corps  near  Two  Taverns. 

At  midnight  the  Twelfth  Corps  had  all  arrived  and 
lay  in  line  awaiting  the  approach  of  daylight  to 
advance  upon  and  drive  the  enemy  from  their  posi 
tion  on  Gulp's  Hill. 


UP  HILL  iNP&ssert*0 
OF   REBEUS. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

THE  THIRD  DAY'S  BATTLE  —  THE  TWELFTH  CORPS 
CHARGE  THE  ENEMY  AT  CULP'S  HILL  AND  REGAIN 
THEIR  WORKS — THE  SECOND  MASSACHUSETTS  AND 
TWENTY '-SEVENTH  INDIANA  REGIMENTS  CHARGE 
THE  ENEMY  SUPPORTED  BY  THE  THIRTEENTH  NEW 
JERSEY  REGIMENT— LEE  FOILED  IN  HIS  ATTACK  ON 
THE  FEDERAL  RIGHT. 

THE  Confederates  seem  to  have  had  little  knowl 
edge  of  the  topography  of  the  country  about 
Gettysburg,  otherwise  the  failure  of  Ewell  to 
follow  up  the  great  advantage  he  had  so  fortunately 
gained  on  the  night  of  July  2d  must  be  classed  as  a 
stupendous  blunder.  The  left  of  Steuart's  line  was 
within  one  hundred  yards  of  the  Baltimore  pike,  the 
road  over  which  Meade's  army  would  be  compelled  to 
retreat  in  the  event  of  defeat.  The  reserve  artillery  of 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  lay  parked  back  of  Powers' 
Hill  on  the  slope  of  which  General  Slocum  had  his 
headquarters,  while  Meade's  headquarters  were  but  a 
short  distance  off.  Furthermore,  the  presence  of  the 
rebel  army  in  force  on  the  pike  would  have  created 
consternation  in  the  Federal  army.  Unquestionably 
Ewell  was  ignorant  of  the  advantage  he  had  gained, 
and  conversation  with  some  of  the  survivors  shows 


MONUMENT  STH  REGT.  N.  J.  VOLS.,  INF. 


270  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

that  the  rebels  were  greatly  surprised  at  the  ease  with 
which  they  got  possession  of  the  vacated  works,  and 
feared  that  some  Yankee  trick  was  being  played  upon 
them.  Of  the  great  blunder  Meade  had  committed, 
of  course  they  knew  nothing,  and  this  was  only  com 
pensated  for  by  the  rapid  approach  of  darkness,  which 
caused  Johnson  to  exercise  great  caution  in  his  move 
ments.  He  only  knew  the  enemy  was  in  his  front,  and 
he  determined  to  attack  at  daylight.  The  men  whom 
he  commanded  were  "Stonewall"  Jackson's  veterans, 
who  had  won  many  hard-fought  battles,  and  they  were 
not  easily  to  be  disposed  of. 

During  the  night  a  conference  was  held  in  McAllis 
ter's  woods,  at  which  General  Hunt,  chief  of  artillery, 
Generals  Slocum,  Williams  and  Ruger  were  present. 
The  artillery,  twenty-six  guns  in  all,  had  been  posted 
on  every  commanding  eminence  to  cover  the  enemy's 
position  on  Gulp's  Hill,  and  only  awaited  the  appear 
ance  of  daylight  to  open  upon  it. 

As  early  as  three  o'clock  Johnson  began  to  form 
his  men  for  attack,  and  Geary  noting  that  some  move 
ment  was  contemplated  by  the  enemy  determined  to 
assume  the  offensive.  At  day-break  the  crash  of 
musketry  was  heard.  Geary  opened  a  fierce  fire 
along  his  whole  front  and  with  deadly  effect.  The 
First  Brigade  sent  forward  the  Twentieth  Connecticut 
to  penetrate  the  woods  at  the  southern  base  of  the  hill 
and  the  Second  Massachusetts  and  Twenty-seventh 
Indiana  of  the  Third  Brigade  were  ordered  to  charge 
the  enemy  in  flank  by  Colonel  Colgrove.  The  Union 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  2JI 

artillery  opened  along  the  whole  line,  and  from  this 
time  until  ten  o'clock  a  fierce,  stubborn  and  desperate 
battle  was  waged.  On  the  success  of  the  Twelfth 
Corps  now  depended  the  safety  of  the  army.  Rein 
forcements  were  sent  to  Gulp's  Hill,  Lockwood's  bri 
gade  of  the  Twelfth  and  Shaler's  brigade  of  the  Sixth 
Corps  both  going  to  the  support  of  Geary.  The 
continued  roll  of  musketry,  the  deafening  roar  of  the 
artillery  were  listened  to  by  the  waiting  army  with  ap 
prehension.  The  long  lines  of  wounded  men  being  car 
ried  to  the  rear  gave  evidence  of  the  severity  of  the 
struggle.  The  Reserve  Artillery  back  of  Power's  Hill 
had  harnessed  and  was  made  ready  for  any  call  upon  it. 
The  cavalry  to  the  right  were  all  mounted  and  drawn 
up  ready  for  action.  The  Sixth  Corps  in  reserve  were 
under  orders  for  an  advance  at  a  moment's  notice. 
There  was  plenty  of  support  for  the  right,  should 
further  help  be  needed.  Still  the  battle  raged.  The 
enemy  were  driven  back  repeatedly  and  they  as 
often  returned  to  the  charge.  They  were  now  able 
to  note  where  they  were  and  as  they  caught  glimpses 
of  the  Federal  wagon  trains  and  ambulances  moving 
down  the  Baltimore  pike  it  seemed  to  drive  them 
to  desperation.  Too  late  they  realized  what  had 
been  lost  by  the  night's  delay.  They  fought  madly, 
heroically  and  with  a  bravery  which  only  Jackson's 
men  could  show,  but  they  were  at  a  disadvantage. 
The  Union  line  sheltered  by  the  rocks  and  immense 
bowlders  up  to  the  face  of  which  the  rebels  charged 
again  and  again,  enabled  them  to  inflict  serious  injury 


2/2 


NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


upon   their   assailants,  and    heavy  as    the    Union    loss 
was  that  of  the  enemy  was  treble. 

When  the  order  was  given  at  dawn  for  the  Second 
Massachusetts  and  Twenty-seventh  Indiana  of  Col- 
grove's  brigade  to  advance  and  attack  the  enemy, 
there  was  thought  to  be  a  mistake  in  the  meaning 
of  it.  Lieutenant  Snow  who  brought  the  order  from 
General  Ruger  was  asked  a  second  and  third  time 

as  to  the  intent  of 
it,  and  he  repeated, 
the  order  is  to  ad- 

111  1S&**&  \  "n  "  flU  vance.      Colonel 

^Ai     M(  Mudge  of  the  Sec- 

ond  Massachusetts, 
when  he  received 
the  order,  said,  "  It 
is  murder,  but  must 
be  obeyed!  for 
ward  ! "  and  the 
brave  Mudge  with 
as  gallant  a  body 
of  men  as  ever  lived  moved  out  to  swift  and  certain 
death.  The  Twenty-seventh  Indiana  were  to  advance 
and  join  the  right  of  the  Second  Massachusetts,  but 
Colonel  Mudge  when  he  reached  the  open  ground 
moved  at  once  against  the  enemy  driving  them  ahead 
of  him,  and  though  exposed  to  a  deadly  fire  the  Second 
reached  the  shelter  of  the  woods  on  the  other  side. 
The  brave  Mudge  was  killed,  and  the  casualties  in  the 
regiment  were  severe.  The  Twenty -seventh  Indiana 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


273 


Regiment  advanced  gallantly,  and  the  right  companies 
of  the  Thirteenth  New  Jersey  changed  front  and  occu 
pied  the  breastworks  vacated  by  the  Second  Massachu 
setts.  As  the  Twenty-seventh  reached  the  open  ground 
they  encountered  a  terrible  musketry  fire  which  checked 
them  where  they  were.  The  left  wing  of  the  regi 
ment  extended  to  the  [open  ground  the  right  resting 
in  the  wood,  the  line  facing  northeasterly.  This  regi 
ment  fought  gallantly  but  was  compelled  to  fall  back, 

whep  the  Thirteenth 
New  Jersey  returned 
to  its  former  line  and 
the  Twenty-seventh 
occupied  the  position 
thus  vacated.  The 
fighting  continued  with 
great  stubbornness. 
The  enemy  seeing  the 
Twenty-seventh  fall 
back  formed  for  a 
counter-charge  and  ad 
vanced  across  the  open  ground  to  the  marshy  banks 
of  Spangler's  Run,  where  they  encountered  the  fire 
of  the  Third  Wisconsin,  Twenty-seventh  Indiana,  and 
such  portions  of  the  Thirteenth  New  Jersey  as  could 
reach  them.  The  two  left  companies,  C  and  I,  were 
in  the  direct  front  of  the  advancing  enemy,  and  for  a 
short  time  a  sharp  engagement  ensued,  in  which  the 
rebels  were  repulsed.  The  Second  Massachusetts 
from  its  position  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  swale 
18 


2/4  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


had  an  enfilading  fire  down  their  line  which  precipi 
tated  their  retreat.  During  this  engagement  Captain 
David  A.  Ryerson,  of  Company  C,  Thirteenth  New 
Jersey,  was  wounded,  the  command  of  the  left  com 
panies  thus  devolving  upon  Captain  Ambrose  M.  Mat 
thews,  of  Company  I ;  James  Parliament,  of  the  same 
company,  was  struck  in  the  breast  from  which  wound 
he  died  a  few  days  later,  and  Henry  Damig,  of  Com- 
pa^ny  G,  was  killed. 

Walker's  brigade  of  the  enemy  had  been  sent  to  the 
extreme  left  of  the  line  to  watch  the  movements  of 
the  regiments  of  Colgrove's  brigade  in  McAllister's 
woods.  A  strong  line  of  skirmishers  appeared  on  the 
crest  of  the  hill  east  of  Rock  Creek,  and  they  took 
position  behind  the  rocks  and  trees  and  thus  picked  off 
officers  and  men  at  their  leisure.  A  small  stone  house 
seemed  to  be  filled  with  them,  and  whenever  a  head 
was  projected  above  the  breastworks  a  bullet  was  sure 
to  come  unpleasantly  near  it.  The  Thirteenth  New 
Jersey  and  the  Twenty-seventh  Indiana  suffered  most 
severely  from  this  fire.  A  stretcher-bearer  of  the  latter 
regiment  went  to  the  front,  carrying  a  white  stretcher 
with  him,  to  look  after  some  of  the  wounded  lying  in 
the  edge  of  the  woods,  whose  cries  for  water  and  help 
were  agonizing.  Just  as  he  had  scaled  the  works  and 
before  he  had  gone  thirty  feet  to  the  front  a  rebel 
sharpshooter  sent  a  bullet  through  his  head  and  he  fell 
lifeless  at  the  foot  of  a  tree.  This  uncalled-for  act 
exasperated  the  men,  and  they  demanded  that  the  stone 
house  should  be  demolished.  Captain  Winegar  of 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  275 


Battery  "  M  "  First  New  York  Artillery,  came  down  to 
the  line,  and  after  examining  the  position  returned  to 
his  battery,  which  soon  opened  fire  upon  the  building. 
The  first  shot  penetrated  the  house  and  as  the  men  saw 
the  dust  and  splinters  flying  about  they  gave  a  pro 
longed  cheer.  No  further  annoyance  came  from  that 
quarter. 

The  engagement  with  Johnson's  division  lasted  until 
ten  o'clock,  when  a  ringing  cheer  broke  from  the  man 
on  Gulp's  Hill  and  it  was  known  that  the  enemy  were 
falling  back.  The  Third  Wisconsin,  of  Colgrove's 
brigade,  advanced  a  picket  line  across  the  open  ground 
in  the  front  capturing  a  few  men,  and  the  regiment 
advanced  up  to  the  position  formerly  held  by  Col- 
grove's  regiments  on  the  right  of  the  First  Brigade. 
Geary  and  McDougall  also  advanced  and  reoccupied 
their  old  position  and  the  lines  of  the  Union  right  were 
once  more  intact. 

The  battle  had  been  a  hard  one.  For  three  hours  of 
the  previous  evening  Green,  with  his  little  brigade, 
had  made  a  stalwart  defense  of  the  position  he  held, 
and  to  the  valor  of  his  men  is  due  the  safety  of  the 
Union  army  on  the  third  of  July.  From  the  first  break 
of  day  to  ten  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  third — full 
seven  hours — the  battle  continued.  The  trees  were 
mangled  and  torn  with  the  shells  and  the  solid  shot 
which  was  hurled  among  them,  and  the  effect  of 
this  dreadful  day's  work  was  noticed  a  year  later 
when  one  part  of  this  immense  forest,  where  the  fight 
ing  was  fiercest,  was  found  to  have  been  killed.  The 
trees  .were  leafless. 


276  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

The  sight,  after  the  battle,  in  the  Union  front  was 
frightful.  The  fighting  had  been  waged  at  such  close 
quarters  and  with  such  desperation,  that  there  were  as 
many  dead  rebels  on  the  ground  as  there  were  men 
who  fought  them.  They  lay  in  many  instances  close 
up  to  the  front  of  the  Union  line  of  works,  and  the 
bayonet  thrusts  in  several  of  the  bodies  testified  too 
plainly  the  terrible  manner  of  their  death  and  the 
ferocity  of  the  contest.  With  the  recapture  of  the 
position  on  Gulp's  Hill,  the  fighting  ceased  on  the 
right,  save  by  skirmishers  and  sharpshooters  posted 
along  the  Rock  Creek  ridge.  The  casualties  in  the 
Thirteenth  New  Jersey  Regiment  were  twenty-one  as 
follows : 

Killed — Henry  Damig,  Company  G. 

Wounded — Company  A — Edward  S.  Smith. 

Company  B — Thomas  Ferris. 

Company  C — Captain  David  A.  Ryerson,  Alexander 
Barnes,  James  Winter,  James  Parliament  (died  July 
27th),  William  Remington. 

Company  D— James  P.  Ho  watt. 

Company  E — Corporal  Thomas  H.  Williams  (leg 
amputated),  John  Van  Winkle. 

Company  F — Cornelius  Clark. 

Company  G — Captain  John  H.  Arey,  Corporal 
Cyrus  Williams,  John  Welsch,  drummer. 

Company  H — David  Latourette. 

Company  I — Lieutenant  Charles  W.  Johnson  (acting 
Adjutant),  Aaron  Chamberlain,  Smith  P.  Brown. 

Recapitulation  —  Killed,  i.  Wounded  —  Officers,  3: 
enlisted  men,  17;  total,  21. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  THIRD  DAY'S  BATTLE  CONCLUDED—  LONGSTREET'S 

CHARGE  ON  CEMETERY  RIDGE  —  DISASTROUS 
REPULSE  OF  PICKETT'S  AND  HETH'S  DIVISIONS  _ 

DREADFUL  EXECUTION  WITH  "  BUCK  AND  BALL" 
BY  THE  TWELFTH  NEW  JERSEY  —  HEXAMER'S  OLD 
BATTERY  ("  A  "  FIRST  NEW  JERSEY)  ENGAGED—  THE 
FIRST  NEW  JERSEY  CAVALRY  WIN  NEW  LAURELS. 


ENERAL  LEE  had  now  unsuccesfully  attacked 
both  the  right  and  left  positions  of  the  Union 
army,  but  with  a  fatuity  which  seems  incompre 
hensible,  he  determined  upon  one  more  assault.  He 
seems  to  have  believed  that  the  defeat  of  Sickles  had 
seriously  crippled  Meade's  whole  army,  and  Johnson's 
success  in  getting  possession  of  the  vacated  works  of 
the  Twelfth  Corps  gave  him  a  foretaste  of  victory,  if 
promptly  followed  up.  The  repulse  of  Hood  at 
Round  Top,  of  Hays  and  Avery  at  Cemetery  Hill, 
and  the  failure  of  Wilcox  and  Wright  to  reap  any 
substantial  benefit  from  their  advance  almost  into  the 
Union  lines  on  the  second  of  July,  were  regarded  as 
mere  episodes  of  the  battle,  not  worthy  of  serious 
thought.  The  time  had  come,  according  to  General 
Lee's  reasoning  for  the  one  great  decisive  blow  which 


2;  8  NEW  JERSEY   TROOPS 

should  end  the  war  in  his  favor.  But  on  this  third  day 
of  July  the  entire  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  on  the 
field,  and  so  disposed  that  reinforcements  could  be  sent 
to  any  point  on  short  notice.  Further  the  Union  army 
felt  that  they  had  gained  quite  as  much  for  their  cause 
as  Lee  considered  he  had  accomplished  for  himself,  and 
though  the  stragglers,  who  poured  down  the  roads  to 
the  rear  spread  dismal  tales  of  defeat  for  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  the  men  at  the  front  had  no  such  feeling. 

When  the  final  charge  by  the  Twelfth  Corps  was 
made  upon  the  enemy's  lines,  and  they  were  forced 
back  to  the  opposite  side  of  Rock  Creek,  it  stimu 
lated  the  tone  of  the  whole  army.  Confident  of  success 
before  they  were  sanguine  now,  and  the  further  move 
ments  of  Lee  were  awaited  with  impatience.  The  deep 
stillness  which  settled  upon  the  battle-field  after  the 
cessation  of  the  fighting  on  the  right  soon  became 
oppressive.  It  was  the  prevalent  belief  that  Lee 
intended  a  more  desperate  move  than  any  yet  planned 
but  where  the  blow  would  fall  could  only  be  conject 
ured.  As  the  centre  of  the  line  had  so  far  escaped  a 
direct  assault  the  feeling  grew  that  there  the  blow 
would  fall,  and  the  intuition  which  thus  selected  the 
point  of  attack  was  confirmed  a  few  hours  later. 

General  Lee  had  determined  the  night  before  to 
assault  the  centre  of  Meade's  line,  and  to  Longstreet's 
corps  he  assigned  the  task.  These  troops  had  borne 
the  brunt  of  the  fighting  the  day  before,  and  their 
ranks  were  terribly  decimated.  It  was  impossible  that 
they  could  successfully  accomplish  the  work  Lee  had 


MONUMENT  inn  RKGT.  N.  J.  VOLS.,  INF. 


28o  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

in  hand,  and  further  they  could  not  well  be  spared 
from  the  positions  they  then  occupied.  The  only 
division  that  had  not  participated  in  the  battle  at  any 
time  was  Pickett's,  and  he  was  accordingly  selected  to 
lead  the  charge.  Pickett  had  arrived  within  a  short 
distance  of  the  battle-field  the  night  before,  after  a 
forced  march  from  Chambersburg,  and  at  seven  o'clock 
on  the  morning  of  the  third  he  reported  to  General 
Longstreet.  The  interviews  between  Longstreet  and 
Lee  were  frequent.  The  former  was  opposed  to  the 
contemplated  movement  and  interposed  every  possible 
objection  to  the  determination  of  Lee  to  make  the 
assault.  But  the  rebel  chieftain  was  immovable.  He 
saw  no  reason  for  depression,  but  believed  everything 
was  favorable  for  success.  He  construed  the  capture 
of  Sickles'  advanced  line  as  a  victory,  and  in  his  official 
report  uses  this  language  : 

"  After  a  severe  struggle  Longstreet  succeeded  in 
gaining  possession  of  and  holding  the  desired  ground. 
Ewell  also  carried  some  of  the  strong  positions  which 
he  assailed,  and  the  result  was  such  as  to  lead  to  the 
belief  that  he  would  ultimately  be  able  to  dislodge  the 
enemy.  The  battle  ceased  at  dark.  These  partial 
successes  determined  me  to  continue  the  assault  the 
next  day." 

Argument  and  protestation  could  not  move  the  man 
who  thus  summed  up  the  results  of  the  previous  day's 
fighting,  and  Longstreet  was  compelled  to  notify  Pickett 
of  the  work  that  had  been  assigned  him  to  do. 

General  Lee's  line  of  battle  at  daylight  on  the  third, 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  281 


was  much  the  same  as  when  night  closed  in  and  ended 
the  conflict  of  the  second  day.  Laws'  and  Robertson's 
brigades  were  in  front  of  the  Round  Tops,  Wofford  in 
the  centre  west  of  the  wheat-field,  and  Kershaw  on  the 
left,  occupying  the  Peach  Orchard.  The  rest  of  Long- 
street's  corps  stretched  along  the  line  of  Seminary 
Ridge,  and  Hill  occupied  his  former  position  on  the 
left  of  Longstreet.  Evvell  was  at  that  moment  engaged 
in  a  death  struggle  on  the  extreme  left,  but  the  result 
was  not  to  be  awaited — victory  there  was  confidently 
anticipated.  It  was  ten  o'clock  before  Lee  gave  the 
final  order  to  form  for  the  attack.  With  Longstreet  he 
had  fully  reconnoitred  the  ground,  and  that  officer  again 
tried  to  dissuade  him  from  the  proposed  movement. 
Longstreet  scented  defeat.  He  was  opposed  to  an  offen 
sive  movement  and  desired  to  turn  the  flank  of  Meade, 
and  compel  him  to  attack  the  southern  army.  But  all 
in  vain.  It  was  finally  determined  to  assail  the  Union 
line  with  a  strong  column,  under  cover  of  a  heavy 
artillery  fire,  and  the  orders  were  given.  Colonel  Alex 
ander  posted  the  Confederate  artillery  along  the  ridge 
which  Humphreys  had  vainly  tried  to  hold  the  day 
before,  extending  from  the  Peach  Orchard  on  the  right 
to  the  Codori  house  on  the  left.  A  battery  on  the  right 
of  the  Peach  Orchard,  and  the  Washington  Artillery 
with  Bearing  and  Cabell's  batteries  stationed  on  the 
left  were  to  aid  in  the  attack.  This  vast  congrega 
tion  of  batteries  comprised  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
eight  pieces  of  cannon,  and  behind  this  wall  of  iron  the 
division  of  Pickett,  with  the  troops  that  were  to  sup- 


282  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

port  him,  formed  for  the  impending  collision.  Pickett's 
division  was  composed  of  five  brigades,  three  only  of 
which  were  upon  the  field — Garnett's,  Armistead's  and 
Kemper's — comprising  in  all  about  four  thousand  five 
hundred  men.  They  formed  behind  the  rising  surface 
of  the  ground,  Kemper  and  Garnett  in  the  advance, 
Armistead  in  rear,  and  lay  down  to  await  the  order 
for  the  charge  to  be  made.  A  battery  of  light  artillery 
was  detailed  to  accompany  them.  To  support  Pickett, 
Hill  contributed  the  brigades  of  Wilcox,  Perry  and 
Wright,  and  Heth's  division,  composed  of  the  bri 
gades  of  Archer,  Pettigrew,  Davis  and  Brocken- 
borough,  with  the  brigades  of  Scales  and  Lane  added, 
made  up  a  total  attacking  force  of  fully  fifteen  thou 
sand  men.  This  mighty  host,  supported  by  the  con 
centrated  fire  of  the  largest  artillery  force  ever  gathered 
together,  was  to  launch  itself  upon  the  front  of  the 
Second  Corps  and  break  the  Union  line  in  two. 

The  position  of  the  Second  Corps  which  was  to 
be  the  scene  of  the  coming  conflict  was  an  admirable 
one  for  defence.  In  its  entire  length  from  Zeigler's 
Grove — which  separates  Cemetery  Hill  from  Ceme 
tery  Ridge  —  to  the  copse  of  trees,  where  the  left  of 
Pickett's  line  halted,  is  considerably  less  than  a 
mile.  In  the  advanced  edge  of  the  wood  known 
as  Zeigler's  Grove— the  extreme  right  of  the  Sec 
ond  Corps'  line — Woodruff's  battery  ("I"  First 
United  States  Artillery)  was  stationed,  supported 
by  the  One  Hundred  and  Eighth  New  York. 
On  the  left  of  this  position,  a  natural  out- 


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284  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


cropping  of  rock  forms  a  low  wall,  and  at  a 
distance  of  fifty  yards  from  the  grove,  near  Bryan's 
well,  a  stone  wall  had  been  constructed  on  the  natural 
rock,  and  continued  for  about  three  hundred  and  fifty 
yards.  Hays'  division  of  the  Second  Corps  occupied 
this  position  being  formed  in  two  lines  of  battle.  The 
left  consisted  of  Smyth's  brigade,  posted  in  the  follow 
ing  order:  The  Twelfth  New  Jersey  on  the  right, 
the  First  Delaware  on  the  left  of  the  Twelfth,  the 
Fourteenth  Connecticut  next.  The  One  Hundred 
and  Eleventh  New  York  and  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-fifth  New  York  of  the  Third  Brigade  were 
immediately  in  the  rear  of  these  regiments,  on  higher 
ground  which  enabled  them  to  fire  over  the  front  line. 
The  other  regiments  of  the  Third  Brigade  and  Car 
roll's  brigade  were  also  in  the  rear  of  the  line  of 
battle  for  a  time,  but  subsequently  became  hotly 
engaged.  Arnold's  Rhode  Island  battery  occupied 
a  position  on  the  left  of  Smyth,  and  in  front  of  Arnold 
the  stone  wall  runs  due  west,  where  it  connects  with 
a  post  and  rail  fence,  thus  forming  a  sharp  angle. 
Gibbon's  division  connected  with  Hays,  Webb's  bri 
gade,  on  whose  line  Cushing's  battery  was  posted, 
formed  the  right,  and  Hall's  brigade  with  Brown's 
Rhode  Island  battery,  the  centre,  and  Harrow's  bri 
gade  with  Rorty's  New  York  battery,  the  left.  The 
rail  fence  which  skirted  the  natural  rock  surface 
before  these  brigades,  was  thrown  down  and  the 
rails  used  as  a  slight  protection  from  musketry  fire. 
Doubleday's  division  of  the  First  Corps  were  to  the 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  285 

left  of  Gibbon,  Stannard's  Vermont  brigade  being  in 
a  clump  of  bushes  and  trees  a  short  distance  in 
advance,  concealed  from  the  enemy's  view.  This 
small  space  of  territory  was  destined  to  become  the 
scene  of  one  of  the  fiercest  conflicts  of  modern  times. 
The  lines  of  men  thus  grouped  together  were  to  be 
subjected  to  a  rain  of  missiles  that  no  body  of  men  ever 
before  experienced,  and  their  courage  and  valor  was 
to  be  put  to  the  severest  test  known  in  the  annals 
of  modern  warfare.  The  Union  line  as  continued 
to  the  left,  comprised  the  following:  To  the  left  of 
Doubleday  was  Caldwell's  gallant  division  of  the 
Second  Corps,  which  suffered  so  severely  the  day 
before  in  trying  to  repair  Sickles'  broken  line.  Birney's 
division  of  the  Third  Corps  continued  the  line  south 
ward  and  the  Fifth  Corps,  whose  line  now  extended 
to  the  summit  of  Round  Top  itself,  completed  this 
front,  with  the  Sixth  Corps  mainly  in  reserve.  At 
every  point  where  artillery  could  be  used  a  battery 
was  posted.  McGilvery  had  stationed  forty  guns 
along  this  line  in  addition  to  the  thirty  guns  of  the 
Second  Corps  which  were  commanded  by  Captain 
John  G.  Hazzard. 

During  the  time  Lee  was  preparing  his  column 
for  attack,  General  Hunt,  chief  of  artillery,  was 
examining  the  batteries  along  the  Union  line.  He 
made  the  best  disposition  possible  of  the  artillery 
at  his  command,  and  stationed  the  Reserve  Artillery 
within  easy  supporting  distance.  Sharp  skirmish 
firing  broke  out  occasionally  along  the  Union  front, 


286  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

and  early  in  the  day  while  the  heavy  firing  on 
the  right  was  going  on,  the  enemy  in  front  of  the 
Second  Corps  reoccupied  the  Bliss  barn  and  the 
Twelfth  New  Jersey  was  again  called  upon  to  dis 
possess  them.  Companies  K,  F,  D,  C  and  A  were 
selected,  and  under  command  of  Captain  Richard  S. 
Thompson  of  Company  K,  the  charge  was  success 
fully  made  and  a  number  of  prisoners  taken.  The  barn 
was  finally  burned  by  the  Fourteenth  Connecticut. 

The  minutes  grew  into  hours  and  the  Federals  waited 
impatiently  for  some  sign  to  show  what  the  enemy 
intended  to  do.  With  the  cessation  of  the  firing  on  the 
right  the  stillness  grew  oppressive.  The  same  feeling 
of  impatience  prevailed  among  Pickett's  men.  They 
had  been  formed  in  line  for  their  charge  ever  since 
ten  o'clock  and  the  delay  was  growing1  tedious. 
Finally  the  word  passed  that  all  was  ready.  Long- 
street  dreaded  the  ordeal.  Pickett  was  anxious  to 
begin.  Longstreet  sought  to  impose  upon  Colonel 
Alexander  the  duty  of  notifying  Pickett  what  to  do, 
that  officer  bluntly  refused,  saying  that  unless  the 
charge  was  to  be  made  he  should  not  order  the  artil 
lery  to  fire.  Suddenly,  at  one  o'clock,  two  shots  were 
fired  by  the  Washington  Artillery — the  signal  for  the 
cannonade  to  begin.  At  once,  as  though  the  gunners 
had  impatiently  waited  for  the  signal,  there  was  vom 
ited  from  the  deep  throats  of  the  one  hundred  and 
thirty-eight  cannon  along  the  Emmetsburg  road  a 
volume  of  flame,  and  the  air  was  filled  with  flying 
missiles  on  their  death-dealing  mission.  For  fifteen 


/A'   THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  287 

minutes  the  Federal  batteries  remained  silent,  and  then 

from  eighty  guns  along  the  Union  line,  all  that  could 

be    brought    to    bear   on   the    position,    an    answering 

refrain  went  up,  which,  combined  with  the  volume  of 

sound  proceeding  from  the  enemy,  created  an  ensemble 

that  was  terrifying  even  to  ears  that  had  endured  the 

dreadful  sound    of  artillery  warfare  for  months.     But 

never  before,  nor  since,  had  those  who  listened  to  the 

sharp  detonation  of   those  two  hundred  and  eighteen 

guns    passed  through  a  more   harrowing  experience. 

The  ground   was  ploughed  into  furrows.     Exploding 

shells   endangered    everything  within  their  range ;  the 

house  used   by   General  Meade   for   his  headquarters 

was  in  the    very    line  of  this   terrible,    dreadful    and 

merciless  storm  of  iron  nail.     Horses  tied  to  the  fences 

were   killed  by   scores   or,  badly    wounded,  filled  the 

air  with   their  shrieks   of   terror   and    fright.     It    was 

chaos    come   again.     General    Meade    abandoned    his 

headquarters    and    sought    refuge    with    General   Slo- 

cum    at  Powers'  Hill.      Caisson    after    caisson,    being 

struck   by   the  enemy's  shells,  exploded,  but  the   line 

of   infantry  remained  as  stationary  and  immovable   as 

the  rocks  behind  which  they  sought  shelter.     A  shell 

would    penetrate   their   front   occasionally    and    lessen 

their  number,  but  none  moved  from  their  places.     The 

artillerists,    more    exposed     suffered    greatly ;    horses 

were  killed  in  large  numbers,  and  the  destruction  of 

gun    carriages,   caissons   and    limbers    was    unusually 

heavy.     For  one  hour  and  a-half  this  terrific  duel  had 

been  kept  up,   when,  at    half-past  two    General    Hunt 


NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


ordered  the  firing  to  be  gradually  slackened,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  nothing  could  be  heard  but  the  firing  of 
the  rebel  guns.  Replacing  the  disabled  batteries  with 
others  from  the  Artillery  Reserve  and  replenishing 
the  ammunition  boxes  for  the  infantry  attack  which 
all  knew  would  follow,  the  Union  artillery  line  was 
reestablished. 

The  accuracy  of  the  fire  from  the  Federal  batteries 
had  inflicted  serious  damage  on  the  enemy's  artillery, 
and  had  also  caused  much  destruction  of  life  among 
the  infantry.  Armistead's  brigade  was  compelled  to 
change  its  position  three  different  times  to  get  out  of 
the  range  of  the  Union  guns  and  with  sighs  of  relief 
they  noted  the  slackening  fire  from  Meade's  line.  It 
was  now  three  o'clock.  Pickett  formed  his  men  for  the 
charge  and  reporting  to  Longstreet  asked  for  the  word 
of  command.  He  would  not  give  it,  and  Pickett,  with  a 
gleam  of  fire  in  his  eyes  said,  "  I  shall  go  forward,  sir," 
to.  which  Longstreet  simply  nodded  his  head,  and  the 
impetuous  and  brave  southerner  returned  to  his 
division.  Just  as  the  rebel  line  proceeded  on  its  march, 
Hunt  ordered  up  to  the  threatened  point  of  attack 
Fitzhugh's,  Weir's,  Cowan's,  and  Parson's  ("A"  First 
New  Jersey  Artillery)  batteries,  which  advanced 
rapidly  into  position. 

Pickett  impatiently  awaited  the  opportunity  to 
advance.  In  a  short  time  it  came  in  a  message  from 
Colonel  Alexander  to  the  effect  that  the  Federal 
battery  had  been  silenced.  The  line  was  formed— 
Kemper  on  the  right,  Garnett  in  the  centre,  Armistead 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG    CAMPAIGN. 


on  the  left  — and  as  it  swept  through  the  artillery 
and  came  into  full  view  of  the  Federals,  a  thrill  of 
admiration  went  through  the  breast  of  every  man 
gazing  upon  the  magnificent  spectacle.  Marching  in 
close  order,  with  measured  steps,  as  though  on  parade, 
it  moved  forward  deliberately,  solidly.  With  flags 
unfurled,  guns  aligned,  obeying  every  word  of  com 
mand,  the  line  moved  steadily  onward.  Leaving 
Wilcox  behind,  Pickett  made  a  half-wheel  to  the  left, 
the  movement  being  finely  performed,  but  it  presented 
its  right  flank  to  the  Union  line  and  McGilvery  con 
centrated  the  fire  of  all  his  guns  upon  it.  The 
accuracy  of  McGilvery's  fire  tore  great  gaps  in  the 
ranks,  but  they  were  promptly  closed  up,  and  on  the 
assailing  column  came  across  the  fields,  scaling  strong 
fences,  until  it  reached  the  base  of  the  ridge  Pickett 
was  directed  to  assault.  Here  he  changed  direction  by 
a  half-wheel  to  the  right,  and  halted  his  column  under 
the  heavy  fire  which  confronted  him,  to  rectify  his  line. 
Wilcox  in  the  mean  time  moved  forward  to  the  right 
of  Pickett,  but  the  wheeling  of  Pickett's  line  separated 
them,  and  left  a  wide  gap  between,  while  Pettigrew, 
who  with  Heth's  division  was  to  support  the  move 
ment  on  the  left,  was  not  able  to  get  into  line  as  soon  as 
desired,  by  having  a  longer  distance  to  traverse. 
When  Pickett  again  advanced  he  was  met  by  a  terrific 
fire  of  musketry  and  canister  from  the  men  in  his  front, 
and  McGilvery  ploughed  his  line  with  shot  and  shell. 
The  Twelfth  New  Jersey  Regiment  from  its  com 
manding  position  on  the  right  of  the  Second  Corps,  had 
19 


290  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

withstood  the  shock  of  the  dreadful  cannonade  with 
heroic  fortitude,  and  watched  the  splendid  advance  of 
the  assaulting  column  with  eagerness  and  expectancy. 
Major  Hill,  who  was  in  command,  encouraged  the 
men  by  his  own  coolness  and  intrepidity,  and  cautioned 
them  to  reserve  their  fire  until  each  shot  could  be 
made  to  tell.  The  men  obeyed,  and  emptying  their 
cartridge  boxes  and  placing  their  ammunition  on  the 
ledges  of  stone  in  front  of  them  where  they  could  the 
more  easily  use  it,  they  confidently  awaited  the  ap 
proach  of  the  attacking  forces.  The  regiment  was 
armed  with  the  smooth  bore  musket,  and  they  used  the 
buck  and  ball  cartridge,  calibre  sixty-nine,  enabling 
them  to  give  a  deadly  fire  at  short  range. 

The  unfortunate  misunderstandings  which  had  sep 
arated  Pickett  from  his  supports  on  the  right  and  left 
placed  him  in  a  perilous  position.  The  ridge  he  now 
essayed  to  reach  was  held  by  a  line  of  men  as 
determined  as  himself  and  his  brave  Virginians.  The 
advocates  of  State  Rights  and  Human  Slavery,  and  the 
defenders  of  National  Unity  and  Freedom,  were  neither 
disposed  to  flinch  now  that  the  contest  had  narrowed 
to  the  space  of  a  hundred  yards.  As  Pickett  moved 
up  the  slope  the  men  in  blue  shouted  "  Fredericks- 
burg."  Ominous  word.  The  slaughter  at  the  heights 
of  JSt.  Marye  had  not  been  forgotten,  and  the  fate  that 
there  befell  Burnside's  brave  men  in  blue  now  awaited 
the  brave  men  in  gray.  Pickett's  right  flank  exposed 
itself  as  he  advanced,  to  Stannard's  Vermonters  con 
cealed  in  the  copse  of  trees,  and  Hancock  at  once 


MARKER  i2TH  REGT.  N.  J.  VOLS. 
(At  Bliss  Barn.) 


292  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

ordered  them  to  move  upon  it.  Stannard's  men 
poured  a  destructive  fire  into  Armistead's  ranks,  and 
disorganized,  the  brigade  surged  to  the  rear  of  Pickett, 
which  for  a  moment  moved  in  the  direction  of  Hays' 
division.  Armistead  pushed  his  way  through  the  mass 
to  the  front,  and  then  with  a  plunge  Armistead,  Kem- 
per  and  Garnett's  men,  all  in  one  confused  crowd  fell 
upon  the  brigades  of  Hall  and  Harrow,  and  finally  con 
centrated  upon  Webb,  where  the  mass  swayed  from  side 
to  side  like  a  huge  Avave  seeking  an  outlet  through  an 
opening  too  small  for  it.  The  fighting  was  now  at  close 
quarters.  Webb,  heroic  soldier  that  he  was,  gallantly 
sought  to  stem  the  tide,  but  in  vain.  The  enemy 
pierced  the  centre,  the  artillery  opened  with  canister 
at  point  blank  range,  Hancock  and  Gibbon  pushed 
forward  all  their  reserves,  and  Webb,  Hall  and 
Harrow,  had  a  desperate  encounter  with  the  enemy. 
Gushing,  of  Battery  A,  Fourth  United  States  Artillery, 
advanced  with  his  guns  into  the  very  midst  of  the 
enemy,  and  Armistead  rushing  boldly  up  urged  his 
men  to  capture  the  battery.  Inspired  by  the  force  of 
his  brave  example  a  crowd  broke  through  the  lines  of 
Federals,  and  the  gallant  Gushing  fired  his  last  round 
into  their  faces  and  himself  expired  from  a  mortal 
wound  previously  received.  Armistead  had  time  only 
to  place  his  hands  upon  the  guns  when  he  fell  dead  by 
Cushing's  side.  The  loss  of  life  had  been  dreadful  on 
the  Confederate  side.  Armistead  and  Garnett  had 
been  killed,  Kemper  badly  wounded,  and  of  the  whole 
number  of  field  officers  of  the  splendid  division  which 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  293 

advanced  so  proudly  and  in  such  magnificent  array 
across  the  intervening  fields,  Pickett  and  a  lieutenant- 
colonel  alone  remained.  Pickett  was  a  most  conspicu 
ous  figure,  and  was  in  the  fiercest  of  the  fight.  His 
escape  from  death  seems  miraculous. 

Pettigrew's  command  which  moved  out  to  take 
position  on  Pickett's  left,  comprised  the  brigades  of 
Archer,  Marshall,  Davis  and  Brokenborough  ;  these 
were  followed  by  the  brigades  of  Scales  and  Lane 
under  Trimble,  who  took  position  in  rear  of  the  right. 
As  Pickett  made  his  left  half-wheel,  by  which  he 
separated  himself  from  Wilcox,  his  left  was  brought 
nearer  to  Trimble,  who  hastened  forward  to  close 
up  the  interval  while  the  left  of  the  line  slackened 
its  pace,  thus  changing  the  position  of  the  attacking 
force  from  a  single  line  of  battle,  supported  by  the 
two  brigades  of  Scales  and  Lane,  to  a  movement  en 
echelon,  in  the  order  of  Archer,  Marshall,  Davis  and 
Brokenborough,  with  Scales  and  Lane  in  rear  of 
Archer  and  in  line  with  Marshall,  the  right  of  Scales 
extending  beyond  Archer's  right.  This  part  of  the 
attacking  force  bore  directly  toward  Smyth's  brigade 
of  Hays'  division  of  the  Second  Corps,  posted  behind 
the  stone  wall  previously  described.  Colonel  William 
E.  Potter,  of  the  Twelfth  Regiment  New  Jersey  Vol 
unteers,  in  his  masterly  address  at  the  dedication  of 
the  monument  of  that  regiment  on  the  26th  of  May, 
1886,  thus  describes  the  advance  and  repulse  of  Petti 
grew's  division : 

"  The  brigade  of  Smyth,  now  about  to  receive  this 


294  NEW  JERSEY   TROOPS 


tremendous  attack,  was  still  posted  as  I  have  hereto 
fore  stated.  Our  own  regiment  (the  Twelfth  New 
Jersey)  was  its  proper  right.  The  strength  of  the 
latter,  as  shown  at  the  muster  of  June  3Oth,  three 
days  before,  was  twenty-five  officers  and  five  hundred 
and  seven  enlisted  men  present  for  duty,  or  a  total  of 
five  hundred  and  thirty-two.  Despite  the  casualties 
thus  far  it  probably  then  had  in  line  four  hundred 
men.  It  was  armed  with  the  Springfield  smooth-bore 
musket,  calibre  69 — a  terrible  weapon  at  close  range. 
The  usual  cartridge  carried  a  large  ball  and  three 
buckshot,  but  many  of  the  men,  while  awaiting  the 
enemy's  advance,  had  opened  their  boxes  and  pre 
pared  special  cartridges  of  from  ten  to  twenty-five 
buckshot  alone.  It  was  the  only  regiment  in  the 
division  bearing  the  arm  mentioned,  and  I  doubt 
whether  anywhere  upon  that  field  a  more  destructive 
fire  was  encountered  than  at  the  proper  time  blazed 
forth  from  its  front. 

"  The  men  were  young,  well  disciplined,  of  respecta 
ble  parentage,  in  comfortable  circumstances  and 
almost  solely  of  native  birth.  In  the  entire  regi 
ment,  as  originally  mustered,  there  were  but  seventy- 
two  men  of  foreign  nativity,  and  these  were  almost 
without  exception  faithful  soldiers.  The  men  had 
the  confidence  of  their  officers,  who  were  in  turn 
very  generally  trusted  and  respected  by  their  men. 
Of  very  much  the  same  stock  were  the  One  Hundred 
and  Eighth  New  York,  Fourteenth  Connecticut  and 
First  Delaware,  as  they  then  stood. 


BVT.  LIEUTENANT-COLONEL  WILLIAM  E.  POTTER, 
Second  Lieut.  Company  K,  i2th  Regt.,  N.  J.  Vols.,'  Inf. 

(From  a  Recent  Photograph.} 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  297 

"The  skirmishers  along  our  front  fell  back  before 
the  enemy's  advance,  and  taking  position  in  the 
Emmetsburg  road,  fire  with  destructive  effect;  they 
are,  however,  soon  driven  in. 

"  The  enemy's  column  first  comes  in  contact  with 
the  Eighth  Ohio  Volunteers,  under  command  of  Lieu 
tenant-Colonel  Franklin  Sawyer,  who,  with  four  com 
panies,  deployed  as  skirmishers,  supported  them  with 
the  remainder  of  the  regiment  as  a  reserve,  to  the 
front  of  and  somewhat  to  'the  right  of  Vvroodruff's 
battery.  Under  the  stringent  orders  of  Colonel  Car 
roll  to  hold  their  position  to  the  last  man,  they  had 
maintained  their  post  without  relief  since  4  p.  m.,  of 
the  second  of  July  ;  having  lost  from  their  small 
numbers,  up  to  noon  of  the  third,  4  men  killed,  and  I 
Captain,  I  Lieutenant,  the  Sergeant-Major  and  38  men 
wounded. 

"As  the  enemy's  column  came  on,  according  to 
Colonel  Sawyer's  report,  now  ployed  in  mass  with  a 
regiment  in  line  upon  its  flank,  that  officer  exhibits 
brilliant  soldiership.  Instead  of  retiring  his  skirmish 
ers,  he  advances  his  reserve  to  their  support,  and 
dispersing  the  enemy's  regiment  advancing  in  line,  he 
changes  front  forward  upon  his  tenth  company,  closes 
down  upon  the  column  itself,  and  opens  a  fierce  fire 
directly  upon  its  flank.  Though  smitten  deep,  the 
force  of  Sawyer  was  too  light  to  stay  the  progress  of 
the  heavy  column,  which  swept  onward  with  majestic 
impetus  to  attack  Smyth's  brigade.  The  Eighth 
Qhio,  however,  captured  a  large  number  of  prisoners 


298  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

and  three  stands  of  colors,  and  its  total  loss  during  the 
action  was  101  killed  and  wounded ;  including  i 
officer  killed,  and  9  officers,  the  sergeant-major,  2 
orderly  sergeants  and  2  duty  sergeants  wounded. 

u  In  our  main  line,  to  use  the  language  of  the  official 
report  of  General  Hancock,  the  l  men  evinced  a 
striking  disposition  to  withhold  their  fire.'  In  our 
own  regiment  they  did  so  under  the  orders  of  Major 
Hill,  enforced  by  their  company  officers.  The  enemy 
now  reached  the  Emmetsburg  road,  the  fences  fall 
before  their  pressure,  and  as  they  emerge  into  the 
broad  turnpike,  Smyth's  brigade  rising  to  its  feet 
pours  a  terrific  sheet  of  musketry  into  the  column, 
before  which  the  whole  front  line  seems  to  go  down. 
The  masses  in  rear  press  on,  but  vainly  strive  to  pass 
the  line  of  death  marked  by  the  road.  The  blazing 
line  of  Smyth's  brigade  is  in  their  front ;  the  Eighth 
Ohio  presses  upon  their  left ;  the  guns  of  Woodruff 
firing  double  charges  of  canister  upon  their  flank, 
sweep  down  whole  ranks  at  once.  To  advance  is 
annihilation,  to  retreat  is  death.  In  vain  do  they  make 
the  most  strenuous  exertions  to  regain  their  lost 
momentum  ;  in  vain  do  their  leaders,  officers,  color- 
bearers,  strong  men,  spring  to  the  front  and  endeavor 
to  move  the  column  forward  or  cause  it  to  deploy  to 
fire.  These  are  instantly  shot  down  ;  and  in  less  time 
than  I  have  taken  to  tell  the  story  the  whole  of  the  six 
brigades  to  the  left  of  Pickett  are  either  prone  upon  the 
ground,  or  fleeing  in  disordered  groups  northward  and 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.^  299 

westward   to  escape  the  fire  and  to  regain    Seminary 
Ridge. 

"Just  at  the  critical  moment  General  Hays  brought 
forward  from  the  rear  the  Third  Brigade  and  formed 
it  in  rear  of  the  Twelfth  New  Jersey.  These  troops 
did  not,  however,  open  fire,  though  they  suffered  con 
siderable  loss,  and  one  shell,  it  is  said,  exploding  near 
the  colors  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Eleventh  New 
York,  killed  7  men. 

"  In  the  height  of  the  fight  Lieutenant  Richard  H. 
Townsend,  of  Cape  May  county,  fell  shot  through  the 
heart.  Promoted  from  the  Tenth  Regiment  New 
Jersey  Volunteers,  he  had  been  able  to  join  his  new 
command  only  three  days  before,  and  thus  died  in  his 
first  battle. 

"  At  least  2,000  prisoners  and  fifteen  colors  were 
taken  by  Hays'  division.  Of  the  latter  Smyth's  bri 
gade  took  nine ;  the  Fourteenth  Connecticut  capturing 
four,  the  First  Delaware  three,  and  the  Twelfth  New 
Jersey  two.  The  aggregate  loss  of  the  brigade  in  the 
action  was  366.  The  loss  of  the  Twelfth  New  Jersey 
was:  killed,  2  officers  and  21  men;  wounded,  4  officers 
and  79  men;  missing,  9  men;  an  aggregate  of  115, 
about  one-fourth  of  its  total  strength.  The  total  loss 
of  the  division  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing 
was  1,291. 

"  If  I  have  made  myself  clear,  it  will  thus  be 
perceived  that  Smyth's  brigade,  with  Woodruff's 
battery,  not  only  checked  the  enemy's  advance,  but 
practically  destroyed  his  column.  No  portion  of  the 


300  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

enemy's  troops  reached  our  line.  One  smooth-cheeked 
lad,  indeed,  the  leader  of  thousands,  ran  forward 
through  all  that  fire  to  fall  dead  and  covered  with 
wounds  within,  twenty  feet  of  our  colors.  Another 
reached  the  Byran  barn,  and  from  behind  it,  firing  one 
shot  down  our  line,  was  killed  by  Color-Sergeant 
Charles  E.  Cheeseman,  a  brave  soldier,  who,  shot 
through  the  body  himself,  died  by  my  side  at  the  field 
hospital  of  the  Wilderness,  in  May  of  1864.  These  two 
men,  like  spra}^  driven  from  a  wave,  marked  the 
farthest  limit  of  the  enemy's  advance  in  our  front." 

The  disastrous  fire  from  Hays'  front  threw  the 
attacking  forces  into  the  utmost  confusion  and  dis 
order,  and  the  troops  of  Scales  and  Archer  who  with 
stood  the  shock  united  with  Pickett,  but  it  was  too 
late,  the  force  of  the  attacking  column  was  spent,  its 
power  broken,  and  those  who  could  get  back  to 
Seminary  Ridge  went  there.  Pickett's  division  was 
practically  annihilated.  Out  of  the  four  thousand  five 
hundred  men  who  advanced  with  him,  not  more  than 
one  thousand  returned. 

Wilcox,  on  the  right  of  Pickett  who  had  become 
separated  from  him  on  the  advance,  reached  a  position 
in  front  of  Birney's  division  of  the  Third  Corps.  With 
out  any  knowledge  of  the  disaster  which  had  befallen 
Pickett  on  the  left,  he  deployed  his  men ;  but  Stannard 
who  had  returned  to  his  place  in  the  wood  observed 
Wilcox's  position,  and  repeating  the  movement  by 
which  he  threw  Armistead's  line  into  confusion  he 
advanced  two  of  his  regiments  on  Wilcox's  flank  and 


°v%%  /  III  T^VI !  t*B 

«-'*:Vt    if  r^^t/.;$*8  t B  uit^ul« ; 

^%r  jrafe\^| 

?/  r  SVr^s^JwR 
H^^iW^o^* 


THE  GENERAL  LINE  OF  BATTLE  AT  THE  TIME  OF  PICKETT'S  CHARGE. 


302  NE  W  JERSE  Y  TROOPS 

poured  an  enfilading  fire  down  his  line.  The  sudden 
ness  of  this  attack  caused  Wilcox  to  halt,  and  finding 
himself  assailed  by  Stannard  on  the  left  and  by  artillery 
in  front,  he  hastily  departed  with  a  loss  of  200  of  his 
men. 

When  the  enemy  was  forming  for  their  charge 
Battery  "A,"  First  New  Jersey  Artillery,  Lieutenant 
Augustin  N.  Parsons  commanding,  was  ordered  by 
General  Tyler,  commanding  the  Artillery  Reserve,  to 
advance  to  the  support  of  the  Second  Corps,  in  accord 
ance  with  the  instructions  of  General  Hunt,  chief  of 
artillery.  Promptly  at  the  word  Parsons,  and  his 
brave  Germans  who  had  distinguished  themselves  in 
many  fields  of  action  with  their  beloved  commander 
Hexamer,  moved  into  position  along  the  Taneytown 
road  and  by  order  of  Captain  R.  II.  Fitzhugh  was 
posted  near  the  stone  fence  in  front  of  General  Webb's 
position,  on  the  -left  of  Fitzhugh's  battery  (K,  First 
New  York  Artillery).  "At  this  time,"  reported  Fitz 
hugh,  "  the  enemy  were  making  a  strong  effort  to 
break  the  Second  Corps  line,  their  infantry  having 
charged  up  to  the  stone  fence  near  a  small  wooded 
knoll  about  seventy-five  yards  on  my  right,  while  their 
artillery  fire  swept  the  ground  occupied  by  the  two 
batteries.  Just  then  there  were  no  other  batteries  at 
that  point  and  there  seemed  to  be  a  good  deal  of  con 
fusion.  The  rebel  artillery  fire,  from  near  a  house  and 
barn,  about  one  thousand  yards  on  my  left  and  front, 
was  especially  severe,  but  soon  materially  slackened 
and  became  very  wild  under  a  fire  of  percussion  and 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  303 

time-shell  from  Battery  'K.'  In  the  mean  time  Lieuten 
ant  Parsons  poured  forty  rounds  of  shrapnel  into  the 
flank  of  the  rebel  infantry  charging-  the  Second  Corps, 
and  in  about  half  or  three-quarters  of  an  hour  the 
enemy  abandoned  the  attack  on  that  point  altogether. 

"  After  a  pause  of  about  an  hour  the  rebel  infantry 
began  forming  on  the  right  of  the  house  and  barn 
before  spoken  of  while  from  the  same  quarter  their 
artillery  opened  upon  us  a  brisk  but  poorly  directed 
and  inefficient  fire,  to  which,  by  direction  of  General 
Hunt,  I  made  no  reply,  but  awaited  the  attack  of 
their  infantry  (Wilcox  and  Perry's  brigades),  who 
soon  charged  over  the  open  field  toward  some  broken 
ground,  about  five  hundred  yards  on  my  left,  as  they 
did  so  giving  the  two  batteries  an  opportunity  to  pour 
in  an  enfilading  fire,  which  they  did  with  great  effect, 
for  the  enemy  did  not  reach  the  point  but  broke  and 
gave  way  in  all  directions  when  about  the  middle  of 
the  field.' 

"  Of  the  conduct  of  officers  and  men,  both  of  Battery 
1 A '  First  New  Jersey  Artillery,  Lieutenant  A.  N. 
Parsons  commanding,  and  of  'K'  First  New  York 
Artillery,  with  Eleventh  New  York  Battery  attached, 
I  cannot  speak  too  highly.  Coming  into  position  at  a 
critical  point  of  the  rebel  charge  on  our  centre  and 
under  a  galling  fire,  the  guns  were  worked  with  great 
deliberation  and  a  most  decided  effect." 

Battery  "  A "  sustained  a  loss  of  2  killed  and  7 
wounded ;  5  horses  were  killed  and  200  rounds  of 


304  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

ammunition  expended,  of  which  120  rounds  were 
shrapnel  and  80  shell. 

The  conduct  of  the  Twelfth  New  Jersey  Infantry  was 
also  of  the  most  exemplary  character,  and  the  reports 
of  all  the  superior  officers,  mention  specifically  their 
brilliant  achievements  and  the  coolness  and  bravery 
exhibited  under  the  most  trying-  ordeal  human  nature 
had  ever  been  subjected  to.  Colonel  Thomas  A.  Smyth, 
commanding  the  brigade  says :  u  The  officers  and 
men  behaved  with  the  greatest  coolness,  and  endured 
this  terrible  fire  with  much  fortitude.  As  the  fire  of 
the  enemy's  batteries  slackened  their  infantry  moved 
upon  our  position  in  three  lines  preceded  by  skirmish 
ers.  *  *  Major  John  T.  Hill,  commanding 
Twelfth  New  Jersey  Volunteers,  directed  his  men  to 
retain  their  fire  during  the  charge  of  the  enemy  until 
they  were  within  twenty  yards,  when,  at  his  command, 
so  tremendous  a  fire  of  buck  and  ball  was  poured  into 
their  ranks  as  to  render  it  impossible  that  one  of  them 
could  reach  the  breastworks." 

The  report  of  Lieutenant  William  E.  Potter  of  the 
Twelfth,  whose  duties  as  ordnance  officer  received 
the  warm  commendation  of  General  Hays,  shows  that 
two  thousand  five  hundred  stand  of  arms  were  col 
lected,  and  that  fully  one  thousand  more  were  left 
upon  the  field  for  want  of  time  to  gather  them.  The 
number  of  prisoners  General  Hays  estimates  at  2,000. 

The  casualties  of  the  Twelfth  Regiment  during  the 
two  days  were  heavy.  The  loss  sustained  in  charg- 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  305 


ing  the   Bliss  barn   was  severe,  the  total  for  the  two 
days  being  115,  as  follows: 

COMPANY   A. 

Killed — Private  George  H.  Martin. 

Wounded—  Privates  John  S.  Adams,  James  S.  Butler, 
Joseph  S.  Fletcher,  Benjamin  F.  Guant,  Isaac  D.  Jones, 
Ira  Knowlton,  Joseph  Morgan,  Jr.,  David  W.  Scott, 
Daniel  Smalley,  Adam  Stormes,  Thomas  Whitzell. 

COMPANY   B. 

Killed — Corporal  Joseph  B.  Spachius  ;  Privates  John' 
Bishop,  Edward  W.  Coward,  Samuel  Platt,  William 
H.  Spencer. 

Wounded — First  Sergeant  Henry  P.  Reed  ;  Privates 
William  L.  Carty,  Joseph  H.  Danley,  Michael  C. 
Donegan,  Samuel  McCulloch,  George  H.  Rhubart, 
Edward  Thomas,  Charles  D.  F.  Wilkie. 

Missing — Privates  Clark  S.  Champion  (returned  and 
discharged),  John  Elliott  (died  at  Annapolis,  Maryland, 
December  9,  1863),  William  G.  Leak  (returned  and 
discharged). 

COMPANY    C. 

Killed — Second  Lieutenant  Richard  H.  Townsend. 
Wounded—  Privates  Thomas   Huttom,    Charles    Lex, 
George  H.  Wood,  William  S.  Woodward. 

COMPANY   D. 

Wounded  -  -  Captain  James  McComb ;  Privates 
George  W.  Crumback,  Enos  Garrison,  Robert  Gant 

20 


306  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

(died  at  Field   Hospital,  July  3,  1863),  Samuel   Green, 
Samuel  L.  Latcham. 

COMPANY   E. 

Killed  --  Captain  Charles  K.  Horsfall ;  Privates 
George  Anderson,  Isaac  H.  Copeland,  James  A.  Riley. 

Wounded — Second  Lieutenant  Stephen  G.  Eastwick ; 
Corporal  Thomas  E.  Prickett ;  Privates  Jacob  Asay, 
Matthew  Cavanagh,  Francis  Haggerty,  Joseph  Meyers, 
Seth  C.  Southard,  Charles  Sullivan,  William  Tozer. 

COMPANY    F. 

Kitted— Corporal  William  H.  H.  Stratton ;  Privates 
George  W.  Adams,  John  Albright,  William  H. 
Johnson. 

Wounded — First  Lieutenant  John  J.  Trimble  ;  Cor 
poral  Abel  K.  Shute  (died  at  Hospital,  Baltimore, 
Maryland,  July  31,  1863);  Privates  Alfred  Eastburn, 
Joseph  T.  Garwood,  John  Grice,  Joseph  Jones,  Wil 
liam  H.  Park,  James  K.  Russell. 

COMPANY   G. 

Killed — Privates  John  Conley,  Thomas  R.  Middle- 
ton,  Thomas  J.  Rudrow. 

Wounded — Sergeant  Hiram  Smith  ;  Corporal  Charles 
Mayhew ;  Privates  Edward  L.  Brick,  Isaiah  Groff, 
Thomas  M.  Harrison,  William  Herring  (died  at  home, 
May  20,  1864),  Charles  D.  Husbands,  Adam  Jordan, 
John  H.  Lamar,  Aaron  Parker,  Nathan  Parker, 
Richard  F.  Plum. 

Missing —  Privates    Edward    H.   Pancoast  (returned 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  307 

and     discharged    April     5,     1865),    John    L.    Severns 
(returned  and  transferred  to  V.  R.  C.,  March  31,  1864). 

COMPANY  H. 

Killed—  Privates  William  S.  Harker,  Daniel  Kiernan. 

Wounded — Sergeants  Alfred  H.  Brick,  Clarkson  Jen 
nings  ;  Corporals  George  A.  Cobb,  Edmund  C.  Tier ; 
Privates  David  H.  Atkinson,  David  Ballinger,  Richard 
Barnes,  Isaac  A.  Dubois,  James  Lippincott,  James 
Magee,  John  Neusteal,  Samuel  L.  Seran,  James 
Stretch,  Charles  String. 

Missing—  Private  William  L.  Seran  (returned  and 
commissioned  in  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-first 
United  States  Colored  Troops). 

COMPANY    I. 

Wounded—  Captain  Henry  F.  Chew  ;  Privates  Jacob 
Adams,  Richard  V.  Fithian,  John  J.  Hoffman,  James 
Horner,  John  Miller  (3rd),  John  W.  Niblick. 

COMPANY    K. 

Killed  -  -  Privates  Simon  W.  Creamer,  Henry  S. 
Sockwell. 

Wounded—  Privates  Daniel  H.  Carman  (died  at  Field 
Hospital  July  3,  1863),  William  H.  Dickeson,  Charles 
H.  Simpkins,  Bloomfield  Spencer,  Samuel  Tomlinson. 

Missing—  Sergeant  Aaron  Terry  (died  at  Anderson- 
ville,  Georgia,  March  24,  1864);  Privates  Thomas  C. 
Galloway  (died  at  Andersonville,  Georgia,  August  28, 
1864),  Theophilus  Sutton  (died  at  Andersonville, 
Georgia,  October  28,  1864). 


308  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

RECAPITULATION. 

Killed.     Wounded.     Missing.      Total. 

Officers 24  6 

Enlisted  Men 20  80  9  109 

Total.. 22  84  g  115 

The  following  figures  show  the  strength  of  the 
Twelfth  New  Jersey  Infantry  Volunteers  on  the  dates 
named. 

June  30,  1863:  Officers.          Men,  Total. 

For  duty 25  507  532 

Total  present 27  569  596 

July  ij,  i8bj  : 

For  duty 18  383  401 

Total  present 22  441  463 

None  of  the  other  New  Jersey  regiments  were 
engaged  in  this  defense  of  Cemetery  Ridge.  The 
Eleventh  with  Carr's  brigade  had  been  ordered  up  to 
the  support  of  the  line,  but  their  services  were  not 
called  in  requisition.  The  First  New  Jersey  Brigade 
was  in  reserve  occupying  a  commanding  position 
watching  the  contest.  They  were  under  the  orders  of 
General  Newton*  of  the  First  Corps  to  whom  they 

*  General  John  Newton,  commanding  First  Army  Corps,  to  whom 
the  First  New  Jersey  Brigade  was  gent,  reports  as  to  the  formation  of 
the  line  : 

"  The  dawn  of  day  (July  3)  found  the  position  of  the  First  Corps  as 
follows  :  First  Division  on  Gulp's  Hill;  Second  Division  on  Cemetery 
Hill  to  support  the  Eleventh  or  Second  Army  Corps  ;  the  Third 
Division  on  the  left  centre  adjoining  Hancock.  Between  the  left  of  the 
Third  Division  and  Sykes  on  the  left — an  interval  of  half  a  mile — there 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  309 

had  been  sent  as  a  reinforcement  and  ready  for  any 
service. 

The  exhausted  regiments  of  the  Second  New  Jersey 
Brigade  were  in  reserve  in  rear  of  Caldwell's  division, 
and  Clark's  battery  ("'B"  First  New  Jersey  Artillery) 
did  not  become  engaged.  The  Thirteenth  Regiment 
lay  in  line  of  battle  in  McAllister's  woods,  and  at  five 
o'clock  with  the  One  Hundred  and  Seventh  New  York 
and  two  other  regiments,  all  under  command  of 
Colonel  Carman  of  the  Thirteenth  proceeded  at  a 
rapid  pace  to  Rummel's  farm  to  support  Gregg's 
cavalry  in  the  fierce  conflict  there  going  on.  With  the 
brilliant  services  of  the  First  New  Jersey  Cavalry  in 
the  contest  with  Stuart's  proud  horsemen,  New  Jer 
sey's  record  in  the  glories  achieved  on  that  historic 
field  will  be  completed. 

On  the  second  of  July  Pleasonton  so  distributed  his 
cavalry  that  Sickles  was  left  dependent  wholly  upon 
his  own  skirmish  line  for  a  knowledge  of  what  was 
going  on  upon  his  flank.  Fortunately  on  the  third 
Kilpatrick  took  up  position  on  the  Union  left  with  the 
brigades  of  Farnsworth  and  Merritt,  and  moved 

were  no  troops  in  position.  I  reported  this  fact  to  General  Meade, 
who  authorized  me  to  go  to  General  Sedgwick  and  obtain  troops  from 
him.  While  proceeding  on  this  mission  I  encountered  Caldwell's 
division  of  the  Second  Corps,  which  I  put  in  position  on  the  left  of  the 
Third  Division,  First  Corps.  General  Sedgwick  could  only  spare  me 
the  First  New  Jersey  Brigade,  General  Torbert,  which  was  placed  in 
position  on  the  left  of  Caldwell."  General  Newton  also  highly 
compliments  Lieutenant  H.  W.  Jackson  of  the  Fourth  New  Jersey,  who 
was  acting  aide-de-camp  on  his  staff. 


3io 


NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


toward  the  Emmetsburg  road,  on  which  the  Con 
federate  trains  were  moving.  This  demonstration 
commanded  the  attention  of  Law,  who  succeeded 
Hood  in  command  of  his  division,  and  he  despatched 
Robertson's  brigade  to  intercept  the  movement. 
Farnsworth  charged  the  rebel  infantry  with  great  bold- 


ness,  but  the  nature  of  the  country  with  its  numerous 
fences  furnished  so  many  obstacles  that  he  was  driven 
to  bay,  and  suffered  heavy  loss.  Farnsworth  was 
killed.  Merritt  on  the  Emmetsburg  road  encountered 
Anderson's  brigade,  and  he  was  also  repulsed.  The 
cavalry  was  then  re-united  and  posted  to  closely  watch 
the  further  movements  of  the  enemy.  This  by-play 


MONUMENT  IZTH  KEGT.  N.  J.  VOLS.,  INF. 


312  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

was  productive  of  one  good  result.  It  called  from 
Lee's  army  two  brigades  of  infantry  that  otherwise 
could  have  been  of  service  in  strengthening  Pickett 
when  the  attack  upon  the  Union  centre  was  ordered. 

Stuart  after  receiving  his  instructions  from  Lee  on 
the  afternoon  of  July  i,  ordered  the  concentration  of 
all  his  cavalry  on  the  right  of  the  Union  army.  Lee's 
confidence  in  a  victorious  assault  upon  Meade's  line  is 
clearly  shown  in  the  orders  he  gave  to  Stuart  which 
were  to  get  around  the  Federal  right,  and  take  posi 
tion  so  as  to  strike  their  column  in  flank,  in  the  event 
of  their  retiring  by  way  of  Westminster.  Stuart's 
movement  was  discovered  by  General  Howard  who 
reported  to  Meade  that  the  enemy's  cavalry  in  strong 
force  was  moving  to  the  right  of  the  Federal  line,  and 
General  Gregg  started  with  his  cavalry  to  meet  him. 
The  disposition  by  Stuart  of  his  troopers  was  such 
that  Gregg  saw  his  intentions,  and  posting  the  First 
New  Jersey  Cavalry  as  mounted  skirmishers  to  the 
right  and  front  in  a  wood,  near  the  Bonaughtown 
road,  the  Third  Pennsylvania  was  deployed  as  dis 
mounted  skirmishers  to  the  left  and  front  in  the  open 
fields,  and  the  First  Maryland  on  the  Hanover  turnpike 
to  protect  the  right  of  his  line.  Stuart's  force  was 
much  larger  than  Gregg's,  and  he  advanced  in  strong 
force  upon  the  latter.  The  firing  of  the  skirmishers 
grew  in  volume  like  that  of  a  line  of  battle,  and  both 
sides  brought  their  artillery  into  play.  Finally  the 
rebel  horsemen  mounted  for  the  charge  appeared, 
and  they  galloped  briskly  forward,  being  met  by  the 


IN  THE  GE  T  T  YSB  UR  G  CA  MPA IGN.  3 1  3 

Seventh  Michigan  who  were  driven  back.  The  First 
Michigan  in  turn  charged  the  victorious  enemy  and 
drove  them  back  to  their  original  position.  Charges 
and  counter-charges  were  made  the  enemy  in  every 
instance  being  foiled,  and  as  they  withdrew  from  the 
field  to  their  left,  the  First  New  Jersey,  posted  in  the 
wood,  gallantly  and  successfully  charged  the  flank  of 
the  column,  driving  them  from  the  field.  Chaplain 
Pyne  relates  the  following  incident  which  occurred 
during  the  fight : 

"  Sent  forward  as  a  forlorn  hope,  to  give  time  for 
the  rest  of  the  division  to  come  up  with  unblown 
horses,  this  little  band  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men, 
by  their  undaunted  bearing  and  steady  fire,  staggered 
the  troops  that  by  a  single  charge  could  have  ridden 
over  them.  Refusing  to  dismount  in  spite  of  the 
storm  of  bullets  constantly  whistling  over  our  men, 
Janeway  rode  from  end  to  end  of  his  line  of  skirmish 
ers,  encouraging,  warning  and  directing  its  every 
portion — showing  here  as  on  many  another  field  a 
coolness  and  bravery  that  made  him  a  marked  man 
among  men.  Advancing  from  point  to  point,  heralding 
each  charge  by  a  cheer  which  shook  the  enemy  worse 
than  the  bullets  of  their  carbines,  for  more  than  a  hun 
dred  yards  the  First  Jersey  pushed  their  little  line  ; 
and  at  last,  with  ammunition  exhausted,  they  still 
held  their  ground  facing  the  rebels  with  their 
revolvers.  Then  Janeway  rode  back  to  the  reserve 
and  reported  to  Major  Beaumont  the  condition  of  his 
men,  requesting  ammunition  and  reinforcements.  At 


314  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

Major  Beaumont's  request,  Colonel  Mclntosh  ordered 
another  regiment  to  take  the  place  of  the  First  Jersey. 
That  regiment  halted  a  hundred  yards  to  the  rear  of 
the  line  where  the  Jerseymen  were  stationed,  and 
would  not  advance  any  further,  while  the  latter 
resisted  every  effort  to  move  them  back.  Presently 
Colonel  Mclntosh  rode  up  to  Major  Beaumont  saying, 
'Major,  where  is  your  regiment?'  'On  the  skirmish 
line,  sir ! '  '  But  I  ordered  them  to  be  relieved.'  '  The 
other  regiment  cannot  be  got  to  relieve  them  ! '  'I 
will  see  about  that,'  said  the  Colonel ;  '  recall  your 
men  ! '  I  have  recalled  them,'  replied  the  Major,  '  and 
they  won't  come.'  Even  Colonel  Mclntosh  failed  to 
get  the  relieving  regiment  up  through  the  tremendous 
fire  to  the  position  of  the  First  Jersey  ;  old  soldiers  as 
they  were  they  could  not  calmly  face  it.  At  length, 
however,  the  Third  Pennsylvania  came  upon  the  line, 
and  the  First  Jersey  was  at  liberty  to  retire  from  the 
action.  But  no !  they  sought  every  method  to  avoid 
falling  back.  Borrowing  ammunition  from  the  Penn- 
sylvanians,  they  kept  their  boldly  won  position,  and 
cheering  like  mad,  defied  the  efforts  of  the  enemy- 
only  a  handful  retiring,  casting  reluctant  looks  behind 
as  they  went." 

The  charge  by  the  New  Jersey  Cavalry — which  the 
historian  of  the  regiment  strangely  omits  all  mention 
of — was  one  of  the  most  brilliant  and  effective  exploits 
during  the  day.  General  Gregg,  commanding  the 
division,  and  General  Pleasanton,  of  the  Cavalry 
Corps,  both  speak  of  it  in  their  reports.  There  is  no 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


315 


official  report  from  the  officers  of  the  regiment  of  its 
services  at  Gettysburg,  and  none  by  the  commander 
of  the  brigade  previous  to  July  4.  The  regiment  sus 
tained  a  loss  of  7  men  wounded  during  the  battle. 

About  eleven  o'clock  at  night  the  brigade  of  infantry 
from  the  Twelfth  Corps  under  command  of  Colonel 
Carman,  appeared  on  the  Hanover  road,  but  their  aid 
was  not  required.  The  battle  was  over.  Lee  had 
been  defeated  at  every  point,  and  sorrowfully  he  pre 
pared  for  the  southward  march,  his  men  never  more  to 
appear  on  Northern  soil,  except  as  men  of  peace,  and 
all  American  citizens  under  one  flag  and  one  govern 
ment. 

The  total  casualties  in  New  Jersey  Regiments  during 
the  two  days  they  were  engaged  are  given  in  the  fol 
lowing  table : 


OFFICERS. 

ENLISTED    MEN. 

Aggregate. 

Total  present  for 
duty  June  30. 

Per  centage  of 
loss. 

Killed. 

Wounded. 

"rt 
o 
H 

*d 
_u 

3 

Wounded. 

br, 

c 

i 

J 

nj 

I 

First  New  Jersey  Cavalry 

7 

7 
9 

20 

87 
38 
103 
42 
140 

"3 

7 
9 

20 

94 
4i 
"3 
49 
'S3 
"5 

21 

234 
116 
H3 

221 

246 

331 
198 
275 

£ 

3 
8 
14 
42 
*7 
34 
24 
55 

21 

6 

First  New  Jersey  Artillery  Bat  A 

2 

First  New  Jersey  Artillery  Bat.  B 

2 
10 

I 

1 

20 
2O 

I 

15 
61 
29 
77 
33 
"3 
80 
17 

3 
16 
8 

12 

I 

7 
9 

Fifth  New  Jersey  Infantry 

2 

5 
3 
9 
7 

10 

4 
3 

7 
3 
10 

7 
13 
6 
3 

Sixth  New  Jersey  Infantry 

Seventh  New  Jersey  Infantry  

I 

Kighth  New  Jersey  Infantry 

Eleventh  New  Jersey  Infantry  
Twelfth  New  Jersey  Infantry  
Thirteenth  New  Jersey  Infantry 

3 

2 

Total  

8 

4i 

49 

78 

439 

56 

573 

622!    2656 

22 

The  First  New  Jersey  Brigade  though  not  at  any 
time  engaged  in  the  battle  sustained  a  few  losses  from 
stray  bullets  and  shells,  and  its  detailed  skirmishers 


316  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

also  suffered  somewhat.  On  the  march  back  to 
Virginia  there  were  several  skirmishes  with  the 
enemy,  the  total  casualties  in  the  several  regiments 
being  reported  on  July  i8th  as  follows  : 

SECOND    REGIMENT   NEW   JERSEY   VOLUNTEERS. 

Wounded— July  3d,  1863,  at  Gettysburg— Sergeant 
William  Duffy,  Company  C ;  Charles  Lenz,  Gottfried 
Schraitman,  William  Krauss,  Frederick  Imhaff,  Com 
pany  D ;  Wallingsen  Van  Houten,  Company  I.  On 
skirmish  line  near  Hagerstown,  July  11,  1863 — Second 
Lieutenant  Johan  J.  G.  Schmaltz,  Corporal  Ernest 
Fischer.  Total  8  wounded. 

THIRD    REGIMENT   NEW   JERSEY   VOLUNTEERS. 

Killed—  Corporal  Daniel  Schuh,  Company 'H,  July  5, 
1863,  near  Fairfield,  Pa. 

Wounded — Captain  John  Frantz,  Company  B,  July 
12,  1863,  near  Funkstown,  Md.;  John  C.  Martin,  Com 
pany  E,  and  Corporal  Matthew  H.  Ivory,  Company  H, 
both  on  July  3,  near  Gettysburg. 

Total — i  killed,  3  wounded. 

FIFTEENTH    REGIMENT   NEW   JERSEY   VOLUNTEERS. 

Wounded — At  Gettysburg,  July  3 — Isaac  Cathrell, 
Company  A  (died  July  I3th);  Jacob  B.  Hendershot, 
Company  B ;  John  C.  Conklin,  Company  K ;  near 
Funkstown,  July  12 — Jacob  O.  Burdett  and  John 
Ackerson,  Company  D.  Total,  5  wounded. 

Total  losses  for  the  First  New  Jersey  Brigade — 
killed,  i  ;  wounded,  16. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

AFTER     THE      BATTLE — SCENES      ON     THE      FIELD— THE 
CARE    OF     THE     WOUNDED— EFFECT     OF     GENERAL 

MEADE'S  ORDER  SENDING  ALL  WAGONS  TO  THE 
REAR — PROMPT  AND  EFFECTIVE  SERVICE  AT  THE 
TWELFTH  CORPS  HOSPITAL— RETREAT  OF  LEE'S 
ARMY  AND  THE  PURSUIT. 

THE  battle  of  Gettysburg  was  a  complete  and 
decisive  victory  for  the  Federal,  army.  The 
news  of  Lee's  defeat  was  flashed  across  the  con 
tinent  the  next  morning — July  4th — and  a  few  hours 
later  a  dispatch  from  General  Grant  announcing  the 
capitulation  of  Vicksburg,  filled  the  whole  North  with 
rejoicing.  Bells  were  rung,  salutes  fired,  enthusiastic 
greetings  exchanged,  public  meetings  held,  and  it  is 
safe  to  say  that  never  before  was  there  such  a  cele 
bration  of  the  Nation's  birthday  as  that  of  July  4th, 
1863. 

The  scenes  on  the  field  of  battle  defy  description. 
Beginning  on  the  right  of  the  Union  line,  the  dead 
bodies  of  the  enemy  which  lined  Gulp's  Hill  from  its 
summit  to  the  banks  of  Rock  Creek  presented  a 
harrowing  sight.  They  were  so  close  together  that  it 
was  impossible  to  walk  over  the  ground  without  care 
fully  selecting  a  spot  for  each  step,  and  the  broken 


3  1 8  NEW  /ERSE  Y  TROOPS 

muskets,  straps,  belts,  clothing  and  implements  of  war 
fare  which  go  to  make  up  the  debris  of  a  battle-field, 
presented  a  demoralizing  spectacle.  Behind  the  rocks 
and  trees  along  the  creek,  and  in  the  stone  house  from 
which  the  enemy's  sharpshooters  did  such  effective 
work  in  the  ranks  of  the  Thirteenth  New  Jersey  and 
Twenty-seventh  Indiana  regiments,  the  dead  bodies 
of  several  rebels  were  found,  showing  that  the  fire 
from  these  regiments  had  done  severe  execution. 
The  rebel  battery  on  Benner's  Hill  had  met  with 
disaster.  The  dead  bodies  of  the  horses  which  were 
killed  by  the  fire  of  the  batteries  on  Cemetery  Hill, 
lay  where  they  fell,  while  the  newly-made  graves  to 
the  rear  marked  the  last  resting  places  of  the  brave 
men  who'  manned  the  guns.  Two  disabled  caissons 
remained,  further  evidences  of  the  destructive  and 
accurate  fire  of  the  Union  batteries.  In  front  of  the 
ridge  which  connects  Gulp  with  Cemetery  Hill, 
where  the  Louisiana  Tigers  made  their  heroic  but  fatal 
charge  similar  scenes  were  witnessed,  but  across  the 
open  country  in  front  of  the  line  of  the  Second  and 
Third  Corps,  the  sights  beggared  description.  Dead 
and  bloated  horses,  the  disfigured  bodies  of  hundreds  of 
brave  soldiers,  abandoned  material  of  every  kind  con 
ceivable  met  the  eye  in  all  directions.  Along  Sickles' 
angle,  in  the  Peach  Orchard  and  beyond,  over  the 
wheat-field  and  among  the  rocks  of  the  Devil's  Den, 
blue  bodies  and  gray  were  intermingled.  Under  the 
porches — and  even  under  the  houses  themselves — 
wounded  men  had  crawled  to  escape  the  dreadful  hail 


320  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


of  leaden  missiles,  only  to  die  of  neglect.  It  was  such 
a  sight  as  only  the  destroying  angel  could  reproduce, 
and  it  told  of  the  horrors  of  war,  as  only  a  battle-field 
can  tell  it.  But  these  mortifying  bodies  could  not  be 
permitted  to  remain.  Details  of  men,  with  shovels  and 
picks  were  seen  moving  over  the  field.  Wide  trenches 
were  at  first  dug  and  the  dead  placed  side  by  side  and 
covered  up,  a  board  with  the  number  of  bodies 
buried,  being  placed  at  the  head  of  the  mound.  In 
the  case  of  Union  men  who  were  buried  by  details 
from  their  own  regiments,  the  board  would  be  marked 
with  the  name  and  company  of  the  dead  soldier,  but  it 
happened  in  many  cases  that  the  dead  of  one  regiment 
were  buried  by  details  from  other  regiments,  and  thus 
came  about  the  long  list  of  "  Unknown  "  dead,  whose 
bodies  were  afterward  transferred  to  the  National 
Cemetery.  The  number  of  bodies  to  be  buried  was  so 
large  that  trenches  could  not  be  dug  for  all,  and  as  a 
matter  of  sanitary  policy,  it  became  necessary  to 
simply  cover  them  where  they  lay  with  earth,  and  in 
that  manner  hundreds  were  disposed  of. 

The  care  of  the  wounded  was  however  the  most 
important  duty.  The  Medical  Director  of  the  army 
had  made  ample  and  complete  arrangements  for  the 
establishment  of  field  hospitals,  but  the  trains  with  the 
necessary  supplies  were  not  permitted  to  come  nearer 
the  battle-field  than  Taneytown,  and  on  July  2d  all 
trains  were  ordered  by  General  Meade  still  farther  to 
the  rear — to  Westminster— twenty-five  miles  from  the 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


321 


battle-field.  *  The  effect  of  this  order  was  to  deprive 
the  Medical  Department  of  the  means  for  taking- 
proper  care  of  the  wounded  until  the  result  of  the 
engagement  of  the  second  and  third  days  of  July  was 
fully  known.  In  most  of  the  corps  the  wagons  exclus 
ively  used  for  medicines  moved  with  the  ambulances, 
so  that  the  medical  officers  had  a  sufficient  supply  of 
dressings,  chloroform,  and  such  articles  until  the 
wagons  could  come  up,  but  the  tents  and  other  appli 
ances  were  not  available  until  July  5th,  and  though 
this  was  a  disobedience  of  orders,  yet  it  produced 
such  excellent  results  that  the  Medical  Director  of 
the  army  quotes  approvingly  from  the  report  of 
Medical  Director  McNulty  of  the  Twelfth  Corps, 
who  says :  "  It  is  with  extreme  satisfaction  that  I 
can  assure  you  that  it  enabled  me  to  remove  the 
wounded  from  the  field,  shelter,  feed  them,  and  dress 
their  wounds  within  six  hours  after  the  battle  ended, 
and  to  have  every  capital  operation  performed  within 
twenty-four  hours  after  the  injury  was  received." 
Medical  Director  Letterman  says  of  this:  "I  can,  I 
think,  safely  say  that  such  would  have  been  the  result 
in  other  corps  had  the  same  facilities  been  allowed — a 
result  not  to  have  been  surpassed,  if  equaled,  in  any 
battle  of  magnitude  that  has  ever  taken  place."  . 

The  following  interesting  account  of  the  hospital 
work  of  the  Twelfth  Corps,  is  from  one  of  the  promi 
nent  surgeons  of  the  First  Division : 

*  Report  of  Jonathan  A.  Letterman,  Medical   Director. 
21 


322  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

"  The  Twelfth  Corps  Field  Hospital  was  first  located 
in  the  rear  of  Power's  Hill,  but  after  being  shelled 
out  on  the  afternoon  of  July  second  was  permanently 
located  (by  Surgeon  J.  McNulty,  medical  director 
of  the  corps,  and  Surgeon  A.  Chapel,  chief  medical 
officer  of  the  First  Division),  on  a  farm  owned,  I  think, 
by  G.  Bushman,  situated  or  lying  on  Rock  Creek,  near 
a  cross  road  running  from  the  Baltimore  pike  to  the 
Taneytown  road,  some  two  or  two  and  one-half  miles 
from  the  town  of  Gettysburg.  The  farm  house  was 
used  as  a  dining  place  for  the  surgeons  and  attendants, 
and  the  female  portion  of  the  farmer's  family  were 
kept  busy  in  the  preparation  and  serving  of  food.  The 
large  barn  was  utilized  for  shelter  for  as  many  of  the 
wounded  as  it  would  hold,  and  hospital  tents  were 
put  up  in  rows  on  each  side  of  an  imaginary  street 
running  up  in  the  field  north  from  the  bam.  The 
tents  on  the  west  side  of  the  street  were  alloted  to  the 
Second  Division,  and  those  on  the  east  side  to  the 
First  Division.  Surgeon  H.  E.  Goodman,  Twenty- 
eighth  Pennsylvania,  was  placed  in  charge  of  the 
Second  Division,  and  Surgeon  J.  J.  H.  Love,  Thir 
teenth  New  Jersey  Volunteers,  had  the  care  of  the 
First  Division.  In  the  First  Division  the  chief  opera 
tors  were  Surgeons  W.  C.  Rodgers,  Forty-s.ixth  Penn 
sylvania ;  W.  C.  Burnett,  Fifth  Connecticut,  and  W. 
H.  Twiford,  Twenty-seventh  Indiana.  While  in  the 
Second  Division  Surgeons  J.  A.  Ball,  Fifth  Ohio ;  A. 
K.  Fifield,  Seventh  Ohio,  and  E.  L.  Dunn,  One  Hun 
dred  and  Ninth  Pennsylvania,  were  assigned  to  similar 


JOHN  J.   H.   LOVE, 

Surgeon-in-Chief  3d    Brigade,    ist  Division,   I2th    Corps. 
Surgeon   I3th  Regiment,   N.  J.   Vols.,   Inf. 

(From  a    War-Time  Photograph.) 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  325 

duty.  To  keep  the  records,  provide  shelter  and  food 
was  assigned  to  Surgeons  R.  T.  Paine,  Twenty-eighth 
New  York;  J.  A.  Freeman,  Thirteenth  New  Jersey; 
Geo.  W.  Burke,  Forty-sixth  Pennsylvania ;  E.  L.  Bes- 
sell,  Fifth  Connecticut;  W.  T.  Tibbals,  Fifth  Ohio, 
and  C.  H.  Lord,  One  Hundred  and  Seventh  New  York. 

"  During  the  evening  of  July  second  the  wounded 
began  to  arrive,  and  all  that  night  and  the  next  day 
until  afternoon  late  the  ambulances  were  constantly 
bringing  in  loads  of  wounded  men.  First  Lieuten 
ant  George  M.  Hard,  Thirteenth  New  Jersey  Volun 
teers,  had  charge  of  the  ambulance  train  of  the  First 
Division.  My  records  state  that  about  six  hun 
dred  (600)  wounded  were  brought  to  the  hospital. 
These  were  -sheltered,  their  wounds  dressed,  all 
necessary  operations  performed,  and  everything  fixed 
up  in  good  condition  by  Sunday  afternoon,  July 
fourth.  Then  the  army  having  left  the  vicinity, 
Surgeon  H.  E.  Goodman  with  twelve  assistant 
surgeons  and  the  necessary  number  of  hospital  stew 
ards  and  nurses  were  detailed  to  take  charge  of  the 
hospital,  and  the  balance  of  the  surgeons  mount 
ing  their  horses  took  a  hasty  gallop  over  the  battle 
field  and  rejoined  their  respective  commands  late 
that  night  at  Littlestown,  Pennsylvania.  Surgeon 
Freeman  and  Hospital  Steward  Albert  Delano,  of  the 
Thirteenth  New  Jersey  Volunteers,  were  among  those 
left  behind  to  assist  in  caring  for  the  wounded. 

"  The  facility  and  despatch  shown  by  the  surgeons  of 
the  Twelfth  Corps  in  caring  for  their  wounded  at  this 


326  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

battle,  was  the  result  of  a  disobedience  of  or  a  neglect 
to  obey  an  order  issued  by  General  Meade  on  July  first,, 
reducing  the  medical  transportation  and  sending  all 
trains,  except  ammunition  wagons  and  ambulances,  to^ 
the  rear,  somewhere  between  Union  Mills  and  West 
minster.  The  medical  department  of  the  Twelfth 
Corps  had  its  full  allowance  of  supplies  on  hand  ready 
for  use,  and  was  the  only  corps  in  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  that  had. 

"  During  the  memorable  cannonade  on  the  afternoon 
of  July  third,  the  surgeons  and  attendants  became  so 
excited  that  all,  for  a  time,  left  their  work  and  crowded 
the  top  of  a  knoll  in  rear  of  the  hospital,  from  which  a 
view  could  be  had  toward  our  line  of  battle.  The 
roar  was  terrific ;  the  ground  under  us  trembled ;  all 
knew  that  the  great  crisis  in  the  history  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  and  that  of  Northern  Virginia  had 
come;  that  one  or  the  other  must  conquer  or  be 
defeated,  and  all  understood  what  the  consequences 
would  be  in  either  event.  The  bursting  shell  comes 
nearer.  Look !  there  falls  one  in  the  field  across  the 
road  from  us.  The  roar  increases.  The  shell  rain  on 
that  ploughed  field,  hurling  its  loose  dirt  in  great 
masses  skyward.  The  enemy  must  be  driving  our 
troops,  or  else  secured  a  more  .favorable  position  for 
one  of  their  batteries.  See,  there !  the  Second  Corps 
Hospital,  between  us  and  Little  Round  Top,  is  under 
fire,  and  they  must  move,  and  that  quickly.  Men, 
wounded  and  otherwise,  ambulances,  hospital  wagons, 
mules,  led  horses,  servants,  surgeons,  all  come  hurrying 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN,  327 

through  the  fields  under  that  shell  fire.  How  soon 
will  our  turn  come  ?  The  cannonade  begins  to  slacken 
and  die  out,  and  in  a  little  while  come  the  rattle  and 
steady  roar  of  musketry.  Which  side  holds  its  own  ? 
No  ambulances  come  in ;  no  messengers  from  the 
front ;  no  stragglers  can  be  seen  pouring  over  the  hill, 
as  on  the  previous  afternoon  when  the  Third  Corps 
was  fighting  its  great  battle.  The  minutes  seem  hours* 
Presently  an  orderly  is  seen  hurrying  across  the  fields. 
We  call  him  to  us  and  eagerly  ask  what  news  from  the 
front.  *  The  Union  lines  stand  firm,'  he  shouts.  Each 
man  breathes  a  silent  prayer  of  thanks  to  God,  and 
then  with  three  cheers  for  General  Meade  and  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  all  return  to  their  work." 

The  number  of  wounded  who  were  cared  for  by  the 
medical  director  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was 
14,193,  and  Confederates  6,802 — a  total  of  20,995. 
These  figures  include  the  Federal  wounded  of  July  i, 
who  fell  into  Union  hands  on  the  4th. 

The  wounded  from  other  corps  suffered  dreadfully. 
During  the  morning  of  July  4th  a  heavy  rain  fell — an 
occurrence  which  seemed  to  succeed  every  great  battle, 
and  hundreds,  of  disabled  soldiers  were  without  shelter, 
and  unable  to  reach  any.  The  water  in  Rock  Creek 
rose  to  a  considerable  height  and  in  immense  volume 
rushed  southward  with  great  force,  in  several  instances 
carrying  down  with  it  the  wounded  men  along  its 
banks  who  were  unable  to  move  to  higher  ground,  and 
some  were  drowned.  The  effect  of  the  rain  upon  the 


328  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


dead  bodies  of  men  and  horses  lying  on  the  field  was 
ghastly — but  it  would  be  painful  to  particularize. 

The  town  of  Gettysburg  had  not  suffered  much  in  a 
material  sense.  The  enemy  occupied  it,  and  this  saved 
it  from  the  terrible  effects  of  a  cannonade  from  that 
side.  Its  residents  were  Union  people  and  no  attempt 
therefore  to  shell  the  rebel  lines  there  was  made  by 
Meade.  But  occasionally  a  cannon  ball  penetrated  the 
town  and  in  two  instances  houses  were  pierced,  the 
balls  remaining  imbedded  in  the  brick  walls  where 
they  can  now  be  seen. 

On  the  morning  of  July  fourth  about  eight  o'clock 
the  Thirteenth  New  Jersey  Regiment  rejoined  its 
corps  and  with  them  went  on  a  reconnoissance  over 
the  enemy's  position  on  the  Union  right.  They  found 
no  signs  of  Ewell's  troops,  that  officer  having  retired 
the  night  before,  and  passing  through  Gettysburg' 
formed  a  new  line  with  Lee's  army,  along  the  ridge  of 
Seminary  Hill.  Meade  did  not  attempt  a  counter 
charge  after  the  fight  on  the  third.  General  Han 
cock,  when  wounded,  had  suggested  it,  but  Lee  had 
been  given  too  much  time  to  prepare  for  defence. 
On  the  evening  of  the  third  of  July  Meade  sent  for 
ward  a  body  of  troops  to  feel  the  enemy,  who 
speedily  withdrew,  and  at  a  council  of  his  corps 
commanders  that  night  it  was  decided  not  to  at- 
attack  Lee,  nor  to  follow  the  same  route,  if  he 
retired.  It  was  not  at  all  clear  to  Meade's  mind 
that  Lee  was  so  badly  punished  that  he  was  not  able 
to  outnumber  him,  and  taking  the  benefit  of  the 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG   CAMPAIGN.  329 

doubt,  he  waited  to  ascertain  what  Lee  intended 
doing.  That  officer  however  was  preparing  for  his 
march  back  to  Virginia,  and  taking  advantage  of 
Meade's  inaction  had  covered  a  long  distance  before 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  moved.  Lee  had  the 
shorter  and  more  direct  route  to  the  Potomac  and  his 
advance  had  reached  the  river  several  days  ahead  of 
his  pursuers,  but  the  heavy  rains  had  so  swollen  the 
stream  that  he  could  not  replace  the  bridges  that  had 
been  swept  away.  It  was  the  twelfth  of  July  before 
Meade  confronted  him  in  line  of  battle  and  on  the 
night  of  the  thirteenth  unmolested  Lee  crossed  over 
into  Virginia.  A  few  of  his  rear  guard  were  captured 
the  next  morning  by  Union  cavalry,  but  Lee,  with  all 
his  plunder,  had  escaped.  The  Army  of  the  Potomac 
recrossed  into  Virginia  and  no  engagement  of  any 
importance  took  place  between  the  two  armies.  There 
was  a  good  deal  of  lively  skirmishing  between  the 
cavalry.  On  the  fifth  of  July  the  First  New  Jersey 
had  a  sharp  engagement  in  the  mountain  passes  north 
of  Emmetsburg,  and  again  on  the  sixth,  Lieutenant 
Thomas  S.  Cox  receiving  a  bad  wound.  On  the 
fourteenth  the  regiment  had  an  encounter  with  the 
Twelfth  Virginia  and  captured  its  colonel.  Affairs  of 
this  kind  occupied  the  attention  of  the  cavalry  daily, 
but  aside  from  these  nothing  of  moment  occurred  on 
the  march. 

The  Comte  de  Paris  who  has  made  an  exhaustive 
research  among  the  figures  presented  by  both  armies 
sums  up  the  effective  strength  during  the  battle  to  be : 


330  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

For  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  from  eighty-two  to 
eighty-four  thousand  men  ;  army  of  Northern  Virginia 
from  sixty-eight  to  sixty-nine  thousand  men,  actually 
upon  the  field  of  battle.  The  losses  were  enormous 
for  the  number  of  combatants  engaged,  amounting  to 
twenty-seven  per  cent,  for  the  Union  army  and  thirty- 
six  per  cent,  for  the  Confederates. 

The  losses  in  officers  in  both  armies  were  heavy. 
On  the  Union  side  were  Major-General  Reynolds,  and 
Brigadier-Generals  Vincent  and  Weed,  killed ;  Major- 
Generals  Sickles,  Hancock,  Doubleday,  Gibbon,  Bar 
low,  Warren  and  Butterfield,  and  Brigadier-Generals 
Graham,  Paul,  Barnes,  Brooke  and  Webb,  wounded. 

The  rebels  lost  in  killed  Generals  Armistead,  Barks- 
dale,  Garnett,  Pender,  Semmes  and  Pettigrew  (during 
the  retreat) ;  and  Generals  Anderson,  Hampton,  Hood, 
Jenkins,  Jones,  Kemper  and  Scales,  wounded.  The 
rebel  General  Archer  was  captured  on  July  ist. 

The  list  of  officers  of  lower  rank  would  fill  a  page. 
The  death  of  Hazlett  and  Gushing  of  the  artillery 
service,  and  of  Colonels  Rorty,  Sherrill,  Zook,  Cross 
and  Willard,  of  the  infantry  each  signify  especially 
heroic  services  rendered  most  opportunely,  and  under 
circumstances  of  the  most  exalting  nature. 

The  success  of  the  Union  arms  at  Gettysburg  did  for 
the  cause  of  humanity  precisely  what  the  Declaration 
of  Independence  did  for  mankind  in  1776.  The  latter 
was  the  protest  of  a  misgoverned  people  against  the 
encroachments  of  kingly  rule  upon  their  rights  and 
privileges ;  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  proclaimed  the 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  331 

dawn  of  liberty  to  an  enslaved  race  and  exhibited 
to  the  world  the  sublime  spectacle  of  a  nation  of 
freemen  determined  that  every  one  within  its  borders 
should*  have  that  liberty  which  the  Declaration 
of  Independence  proclaimed  to  be  the  inalienable 
right  of  all  men.  The  war  for  the  Union,  first  begun 
by  the  slaves  States  of  the  South,  was  waged  on  the 
part  of  the  government  for  national  preservation,  but 
when  President  Lincoln  issued  his  Proclamation  of 
Emancipation,  the  contest  took  on  a  new  phase,  and 
slavery  was  doomed  to  eternal  destruction  by  the 
success  of  the  national  arms.  How  eloquently  Presi 
dent  Lincoln  drew  the  picture  in  his  dedicatory  address 
at  Gettysburg — a  speech  immortalized  as  a  master 
piece  of  English  composition,  in  the  breadth  of  thought 
as  well  as  in  the  beauty  of  expression  which  character 
izes  it : 

"  Fourscore  and  seven  years  ago,  our  fathers  brought 
forth  on  this  continent  a  new  nation,  conceived  in 
liberty,  and  dedicated  to  the  proposition  that  all  men 
are  created  equal.  Now,  we  are  engaged  in  a  great 
civil  war,  testing  whether  that  nation,  or  any  nation, 
so  conceived  and  so  dedicated,  can  long  endure.  We 
are  met  on  a  great  battle-field  of  that  war.  We  have 
come  to  dedicate  a  portion  of  that  field,  as  a  final  rest 
ing-place  for  those  who  here  gave  their  lives  that  the 
nation  might  live.  It  is  altogether  fitting  and  proper 
that  we  should  do  this.  But,  in  a  larger  sense,  we 
cannot  dedicate — we  cannot  consecrate — we  cannot 
hallow  this  ground.  The  brave  men,  living  and  dead, 


332  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

who  struggled  here,  have  consecrated  it  far  above  our 
poor  power  to  add  or  detract.  The  world  will  little 
note  nor  long  remember  what  we  say  here,  but  it 
never  can  forget  what  they  did  here.  It  is  for  us  the 
living,  rather,  to  be  dedicated  here  to  the  unfinished 
work  which  they  who  fought  here  have  thus  far  so 
nobly  carried  on.  It  is  rather  for  us  to  be  here  dedi 
cated  to  the  great  task  remaining  before  us— that  from 
these  honored  dead  we  take  increased  devotion  to  that 
cause  for  which  they  gave  the  last  full  measure  of 
devotion.  That  we  here  highly  resolve  that  these 
dead  shall  not  have  died  in  vain ;  that  this  nation, 
under  God,  shall  have  a  new  birth  of  freedom  ;  and 
that  the  government  of  the  people,  by  the  people,  and 
for  the  people,  shall  not  perish  from  the  earth." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

ORGANIZATION     OF     THE      GETTYSBURG     BATTLE-FIELD 
COMMISSION — A  RECORD  OF   ITS    WORK — DESCRIP 
TION   OF   THE    MONUMENTS. 

FOR  several  years  efforts  had  been  made  to  enlist 
the  sympathies  of  the  survivors  of  New  Jersey 
regiments  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  erec 
tion  of  monuments  to  mark  the  position  occupied 
by  each  of  them  on  Gettysburg  battle-field.  For  a 
long  time  little  progress  was  made,  until  at  a  meeting 
of  the  Eighth  Regiment  Association  a  bill  was  pre 
pared  and  presented  to  the  Legislature  for  State  aid  in 
the  work  of  erecting  monuments,  which  was  enacted 
into  a  law.  The  Twelfth  New  Jersey  Regiment 
previous  to  this  with  commendable  promptness  and 
energy  went  voluntarily  to  work  to  procure  a  monu 
ment  for  themselves  and  were  the  first  New  Jersey 
organization  to  erect  and  dedicate  a  monument  on  the 
battle-field. 

In  1885  tne  Legislature  passed  the  bill  entitled  "An 
act  to  provide  for  the  erection  of  suitable  monuments 
to  mark  the  position  of  New  Jersey  regiments  upon 
the  battle-field  of  Gettysburg,"  which  provided  for  the 
appointment  by  the  Governor  of  three  commissioners, 
to  be  known  as  u  the  Gettysburg  Battle-field  Com  mis- 


334  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

sion  of  New  Jersey,"  and  empowering  them  to  call  to 
their  aid  one  officer  or  enlisted  man  who  was  present 
at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  from  each  New  Jersey 
regiment  and  battery  there  engaged,  to  assist  them  in 
locating  the  lines  and  positions  occupied  by  their  respec 
tive  regiments  and  batteries.  This  bill  became  a  law  on 
May  27,  1886,  and  the  Governor  subsequently  appointed 
the  following  Commissioners  :  Colonel  James  N.  Duffy 
of  Newark,  Honorable  William  H.  Corbin  of  Elizabeth 
and  Honorable  Gottfried  Kreuger  of  Newark.  The 
Commissioners  organized  by  the  selection  of  Colonel 
Duffy  for  president  and  Honorable  William  H.  Corbin 
as  Secretary.  In  accordance  with  that  provision  of  the 
law  which  authorized  the  selection  of  representatives 
of  the  several  regiments  and  batteries  engaged  at 
Gettysburg,  to  aid  in  locating  the  sites  of  their 
respective  commands,  the  following  were  selected  by 
the  commission : 

First  Infantry — First  Sergeant  William  Brant. 

Second  Infantry — Surgeon  Lewis  W.  Oakley,  Lieu 
tenant  Joseph  Donovan. 

Third  Infantry— First  Sergeant  A.  W.  Cattell. 

Fourth  Infantry — John  P.  Beech. 

Fifteenth  Infantry — Corporal  Jacob  Reidinger. 

Fifth  Infantry — Colonel  William  J.  Sewell. 

Sixth  Infantry — Joseph  Smith. 

Seventh  Infantry — First  Sergeant  W.  H.  H.  Condit, 
Theodore  Searing. 

Eighth  Infantry — Sergeant  Benjamin  Murphy. 


:  GETTYSBURG  BATTLE-FIELD  COMMISSION  OF  NEW  JERSEY, 

COL.  JAMES  N.  DUFFY,  President. 
HON.  WILLIAM  H.  CORBIN,  Secretary.  HON.  GOTTFRIED  KRUEGER. 


336  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


Eleventh  Infantry— Frank  P.  Mulcahy. 
Twelfth  Infantry— Sergeant  James  White. 
Thirteenth  Infantry — Samuel  Toombs. 
First  Cavalry — Lieutenant  George  A.  Bovvne. 
Battery    "  B,"    First    Artillery— Captain    A.    Judson 
Clark. 

The  Commission,  with  these  representatives,  visited 
the  Gettysburg  battle-field  on  the  first  of  July  follow 
ing  and  selected  the  positions  for  the  monuments  to  the 
several  regiments.  When  the  expenses  of  the  trip  were 
defrayed  and  the  payment  to  the  Gettysburg  Battle 
field  Memorial  Association  of  $3,000  was  made,  it  was 
found  that  but  $370  remained  for  each  regiment  and 
battery  with  which  to  erect  a  monument. 

The  Thirteenth  New  Jersey  Regiment  held  its  first 
reunion  since  the  war  at  Orange  on  October  i3th 
following,  and  appointed  a  committee  on  monument 
which  promptly  organized  and  submitted  a  design  for 
the  approval  of  the  Commission.  As  the  cost  was  to 
be  two  thousand  dollars,  and  the  State  appropriation 
was  only  three  hundred  and  seventy  dollars,  the  Com 
mission  approved  the  design,  the  committee  of  the 
Thirteenth  Regiment  becoming  responsible  for  the 
balance  of  the  money.  This  was  the  first  monument 
erected  and  dedicated  by  the  State  Commission. 

In  1886  and  1887  the  act  creating  the  Commission 
was  amended  by  increasing  the  amount  to  be  appropri 
ated  to  each  regiment  and  battery  to  nine  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  each,  and  this  sum  was  increased  to  one 


IN  THE  GET 7' YSB UK G  CA MPA IGN.  337 

thousand  dollars  by  voluntary  subscriptions  from  a  few 
public-spirited  and  patriotic  gentlemen. 

The  Commission  presented  its  first  report  to  the 
Legislature  of  1887,  wherein  is  set  forth  the  several 
locations  as  agreed  upon,  and  which  will  be  found 
marked  on  the  map  accompanying  this  book. 

The  work  of  the  Commission  has  been  most  admira 
bly  performed,  and  the  greatest  care  has  been  exer 
cised  that  in  every  particular,  the  foundations,  material 
and  workmanship  shall  be  of  the  very  best,  and  the 
most  durable  in  quality.  These  stones  are  not  erected 
for  a  day  but  for  all  time  and  they  will  stand  for 
centuries  silent  monitors  of  the  greatest  battle  of 
modern  times ;  and  coming  generations  will  read  the 
inscriptions  engraved  on  them  with  mingled  feelings 
of  curiosity  and  respect  for  the  valor  of  the  men  who 
so  stubbornly  fought  on  that  bloody  field  for  the  integ 
rity  of  the  Republic  and  the  rights  of  mankind. 


THE   MONUMENTS. 

TWELFTH    NEW   JERSEY   INFANTRY. 

The  handsome  stone  which  commemorates  the 
services  of  the  members  of  this  regiment  in  their 
gallant  defense  of  Cemetery  Ridge  on  the  third  day 
of  July,  was  erected  by  private  subscription  among 
the  members  of  the  regiment  and  their  friends,  and 
was  the  first  of  the  New  Jersey  monuments  put  up. 
As  early  as  1882,  members  of  the  regiment  interested 
themselves  in  the  work,  and  at  the  annual  meeting  of 

22 


338  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


the  Society  of  the  Twelfth  Regiment  New  Jersey 
Volunteers  in  1883,  a  monument  committee,  compris 
ing  Comrades  Joseph  Burroughs,  Frank  M.  Acton 
and  James  S.  Kiger,  was  appointed.  At  the  next 
meeting  in  1884,  the  committee  was  enlarged  by  the 
appointment  of  Comrades  H.  F.  Chew  and  George 
Danenhower.  Under  the  active  surpervision  of  this 
committee  the  necessary  funds  were  raised  and  on  the 
26th  of  May,  1886,  the  monument  was  formally  dedi 
cated.  Captain  F.  M.  Riley  of  Bridgeton,  the  Presi 
dent  of  the  Association  presented  the  monument  to  the 
Gettysburg  Battle-Field  Memorial  Association  and 
it  was  accepted  by  the  Secretary,  J.  M.  Krauth,  Esq. 
Colonel  William  E.  Potter,  who  was  Second  Lieu 
tenant  of  Company  K  at  the  time  of  the  battle, 
delivered  the  oration. 

The  monument  is  constructed  of  Richmond  granite, 
a  very  durable  stone,  and  is  twelve  feet  six  inches  in 
height.  It  is  located  in  the  centre  of  the  position 
occupied  by  the  regiment,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
prominent  in  the  whole  line.  The  base  of  the  monu 
ment  is  four  feet  eight  inches  square,  and  two  feet 
high  with  sides  rustic-dressed.  The  sub-base  is  three 
feet  eight  inches  square  and  eighteen  inches  high,  fine 
hammered,  and  containing  this  inscription  :  "  2d  Brig. 
3d  Div.  2d  Corps,"  on  three  of  its  sides.  The  die  is 
two  feet  eight  inches  square  by  four  feet  ten  inches  in 
height,  polished  on  the  two  faces  fronting  Round  Top 
avenue  and  inscribed  as  follows:  On  first  face  : 


340  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

"  In  memory  of  the  men  of  the  Twelfth  Regiment 
New  Jersey  Infantry  Volunteers,  who  fell  upon  this 
field  July  2d  and  3d  1863,  and  who  elsewhere  died 
under  the  flag,  this  monument  is  dedicated  by  their 
surviving  comrades  as  an  example  to  future  genera 
tions." 

On  the  second  face  : 

"Buck  and  Ball 

calibre  69." 

"  This  regiment  made  two  separate  charges  on  the 
Bliss  barn  and  captured  it." 

The  capstone  is  three  feet  two  inches  square  by  two 
feet  high,  upon  each  face  of  which  has  been  placed  the 
badge  of  the  Second  Corps,  the  Trefoil,  raised  and 
polished. 

The  capstone  is  surmounted  by  a  pedestal  upon 
which  is  a  representation  of  the  missiles  so  effectively 
used  by  the  regiment  in  repelling  the  charge  of  the 
enemy  —  buck  and  ball.  The  monument  was  con 
structed  by  Mr.  Michael  Reilly  of  Camden,  N.  J.,  and 
cost  entire  $1,000.00. 

TWELFTH    REGIMENT    MAKKKR. 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  law  by  which  the  New 
Jersey  Gettysburg  Battle-Field  Commission  are  gov 
erned,  the  Twelfth  Regiment  was  entitled  to  a  monu 
ment  by  the  State,  and  the  Commission  very  wisely 
determined  to  place  a  substantial  marker  on  the  site 
of  the  Bliss  barn,  in  the  capture  of  which  the  Twelfth 
had  performed  one  of  the  most  daring-  and  heroic  acts 


IJV  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  341 


which  characterized  the  battle.  The  site  of  the  Bliss 
barn  had  been  purchased  by  the  Fourteenth  Con 
necticut  Regiment,  who  also  charged  upon  the  enemy 
secreted  there,  and  burned  it,  but  they  generously 
accorded  to  the  State  Commission  the  right  to  put  a 
marker  there  for  the  Twelfth  Regiment.  This  marker 
or  tablet  is  one  massive  piece  of  Ouincy  granite,  ten 
feet  three  inches  long,  three  feet  nine  inches  wide  and 
two  feet  thick,  extending  into  the  ground  five  feet,  and 
weighs  about  eight  tons,  and  was  constructed  by  Messrs. 
Frederick  &  Field,  of  Ouincy,  Mass.  The  part  above 
the  ground  measures  five  feet  three  inches  in  height. 
The  stone  is  in  the  form  of  a  tablet  and  base  combined, 
cut  solid,  and  the  upper  part  is  polished  front  and  back 
and  suitably  inscribed.  On  the  slant,  or  top,  are  two 
crossed  bayonets,  carved,  and  corps  badge  laid  on  top> 
face  of  same  polished.  Also  *'  i2th  N.  J.  Vols,"  in 
raised  and  bold  face  letters.  On  front  is  the  following 
inscription : 

•"  Erected  by  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  1888,  in  honor 
of  the  1 2th  Regiment  of  Volunteers,  a  detachment  of 
which  in  the  afternoon  of  July  2,  1863,  charged  the 
Bliss  house  and  barn  here,  capturing  the  enemy's 
skirmish  reserve  of  7  officers  and  85  men  stationed 
therein." 

On  the  rear  of  the  tablet  is  the  following : 

"  On  the  morning  of  July  3  another  detachment  of 
the  regiment  charged,  capturing  the  buildings,  one 
officer  and  0112  mm,  and  driving  back  the  skirmish 
reserve.  The  regiment  lost  in  their  charges  60  officers 
and  men." 


342  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

THIRTEENTH     NEW    JERSEY    INFANTRY. 

The  beautiful  memorial  stone  of  the  Thirteenth 
Regiment  was  the  second  New  Jersey  monument 
erected  on  the  battle-field,  and  the  first  in  which  the 
State  Commission  was  officially  interested.  This  regi 
ment  manifested  a  very  marked  interest  in  the  work  of 
the  Commission,  and  in  the  erection  of  its  monument. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  Regimental  Association  in  Septem 
ber,  1886,  a  monument  committee,  comprising  the  fol 
lowing  members  of  the  association  was  appointed  :  F. 
H.  Harris,  A.  M.  Matthews,  J.  J.  H.  Love,  Albert 
Delano,  Samuel  Toombs,  John  Grimes,  W.  S.  Clarke, 
M.  Conners,  Charles  Webber,  13.  A.  Ryerson,  G.  W. 
Lawrence,  W.  B.  Jacobus,  William  H.  Pridham, 
Andrew  Jackson,  Jacob  White,  Joseph  E.  Crowell, 
Ogden  Foxcroft,  Charles  A.  Hopkins.  The  committee 
worked  so  faithfully  and  diligently  that  by  the  next 
July — but  ten  months  from  the  time  of  their  appoint 
ment—they  had  secured  enough  funds  which,  added  to 
the  State  appropriation,  enabled  them  to  dedicate  the 
monument  with  appropriate  ceremonies  on  July  i, 
1887,  addresses  being  made  by  Major-General  Henry 
W.  Slocum,  His  Excellency  Governor  Robert  S. 
Green,  Honorable  William  H.  Corbin,  Adjutant-Gen 
eral  W.  S.  Stryker,  Captain  A.  M.  Matthews  and  Dr. 
J.  J.  H.  Love. 

The  monument  stands  on  a  knoll  in  an  open  space  in 
McAllister's  woods,  directly  overlooking  Rock  Creek, 
the  site  being,  as  near  as  could  be  determined,  exactly 
where  the  colors  of  the  regiment  stood  on  the  third 
day  of  July^  1863.  The  monument  is  a  tablet-shaped 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  343 


bowlder,  seven  feet  high,  five  feet  nine  inches  across 
the  face,  two  feet  ten  inches  thick  at  bottom,  tapering 
to  two  feet  in  thickness  at  the  top,  and  was  constructed 
by  the  Smith  Granite  Company  of  Boston,  Mass.  This 
tablet  rests  on  a  granite  support  six  feet  six  inches 
broad  at  the  base,  three  feet  in  height  and  four  feet 
thick,  all  supported  by  a  rock  foundation  made  of 
broken  stone  and  Portland  cement.  The  excavation 
for  the  foundation  is  six  feet  in  depth  below  the 
original  ground  surface,  and  the  stone  work  has  been 
carried  up  four  feet  above  the  ground  line.  This  pro 
tects  it  absolutely  from  frost,  and  as  there  are  but  two 
immense  stones  in  the  monument  itself  it  will  require 
an  extraordinary  revulsion  of  nature  to  disturb  it. 
The  four  feet  of  foundation  above  the  ground  surface 
has  been  concealed  from  view  by  mounding  it  over  and 
sodding  it  carefully.  The  entire  height  of  monument 
above  original  ground  line  is  fourteen  feet.  The  height 
of  monument  proper  ten  feet.  On  the  easterly  face  of 
the  stone  is  carved  a  figure,  life-size,  of  a  soldier  kneel 
ing  and  in  the  act  of  firing.  He  is  represented  as  in 
the  woods,  his  haversack  and  canteen  at  the  foot  of  a 
tree,  and  all  the  detail  of  uniform  and  equipments  faith 
fully  portrayed.  Across  the  stone  is  the  legend  : 
u  13  New  Jersey  Vols."  The  inscription  on  the 
western  face  is  as  follows  : 

i3TH  REGIMENT,  N.  J.  VOLUNTEERS, 

3D    BRIGADE,    1ST   DIVISION,    1 2TH    CORPS. 

Thirteenth  Regiment,  N.  J.  Volunteers,  reached  this 
battle-field  5   P.  M.  July   i,  1863,  and  with  the  brigade 


344  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

went  into  position  on  the  north  side  of  Wolf  Hill. 
During  the  night  occupied  a  position  in  support  of 
Battery  M.,  First  N.  Y.  Artillery.  July  2,  in  morning, 
held  position  near  Gulp's  Hill;  in  afternoon  marched 
to  relief  of  Third  Corps  near  Round  Top ;  at  night 
returned  to  right  of  the  army.  July  3d  occupied  posi 
tion  marked  by  this  monument,  supporting  Second 
Massachusetts  and  Twenty-seventh  Indiana  in  their 
charge  on  Confederate  flank.  In  evening  moved  to 
extreme  right  to  support  Gregg's  Cavalry. 

Killed  and  mortally  wounded,  2;  wounded,  19. 

Mustered   in  August  25,   1862.     Discharged  June  8, 
1865. 

ENGAGEMENTS  : 

Antietam,  1862.  Nancy's  Creek,  1864. 
Chancellorsville,  1863.         Peach-Tree  Creek,  1864. 

Gettysburg,  1863.  Siege  of  Atlanta,  1864. 

Resaca,  1864.  March  to  the  Sea,  1864. 

Cassville,  1864.  Siege  of  Savannah,  1864. 

Dallas,  1864.  Averysboro,  1865. 

Kulp's  Farm,  1864.  Bentonville,  1865. 


Total  losses  during  the  war:  Killed  or  Died  of 
Wounds,  75.  Died  of  Disease  and  in  Prison,  43. 
Wounded,  244.  Total,  362. 

'FIRST  BRIGADE  MONUMENT. 

(First,  Second,    Third,  Fourth  and  Fifteenth  Regiments 
Infantry) 

The  monument  erected  to  the  First  New  Jersey 
Brigade  is  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  objects  on  the 
battle-field.  It  represents  a  watch-tower  and  is  forty 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAlMPAJGN.  345 


feet  in  height,  being  constructed  mainly  of  battle-field 
granite — a  dark  colored  and  exceedingly  hard  stone — 
the  trimmings  being  of  light  granite.  At  the  base  the 
monument  is  eight  feet  thick  and  in  the  entablature  in 
front  the  inscription  is  placed.  The  Sixth  Corps 
badge — a  Greek  cross — is  cut  in  the  stone  above  and 
the  fluted  columns  on  each  side  give  it  the  appearance 
of  being  an  entrance  way  to  the  interior.  Bronze 
medallions  of  General  Philip  Kearny,  who  organized 
the  brigade,  and  of  General  A.  T.  A.  Torbert,  who 
commanded  it  at  Gettysburg,  are  conspicuously 
placed,  one  on  each  side.  A  carved  stone,  weighing 
several  tons,  containing  the  State  arms  and  the  number 
by  which  each  regiment  was  known,  the  figures  being 
interlaced  with  leaves  and  vines,  is  one  of  the  attractive 
features  of  this  handsome  design.  While  this  tower 
marks  the  position  of  the  brigade  on  the  third  day  of 
July,  each  regiment  has  separate  markers  designating 
their  position,  the  marker  for  the  Fourth  Regiment 
being  placed  a  little  south  of  Power's  Hill,  that  regi 
ment  having  been  on  duty  with  the  division  trains 
during  the  battle.  The  brigade  monument  was  de 
signed  by,  and  the  contract  awarded  to,  the  New 
England  Monument  Company  of  1321  Broadway, 
New  York.  The  monument  bears  the  following 

inscriptions : 

Front  : 

First  Brigade,  New  Jersey  Volunteers. 

Bng.-Gen.  Alfred  T.  A.  Torbert. 

(ist  2d  3d  4th  and   I5th  Regiments  Infantry-). 

ist  Brig,  ist  Div.  6th  Corps. 


346  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

July  2  in  reserve.  July  3  and  4,  detached  from  the 
Corps,  held  this  position. 

Erected  by  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  A.  D.  1888,  in 
testimony  of  the  patriotism,  courage  and  patient 
endurance  of  her  volunteer  soldiers. 

Rear  : 

u  Kearny's  New   Jersey   Brigade " 

Fought  in  all  the  important  battles  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  from  May  1861  to  the  end  of  the  war  at 
Apommattox  Court  House  in  1865. 

Total  Strength  13,805,  including  loth,  23d  and  4Oth 
Regiments  of  New  Jersey  Volunteers  which  were 
attached  to  the  Brigade. 

FIFTH    NEW   JERSEY    INFANTRY. 

This  monument  located  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Emmetsburg  road,  just  south  of  the  Rogers  house 
is  a  massive  and  enduring  structure,  and  is  made 
of  Hallowell,  Me.,  granite.  The  base  is  six  feet  square, 
and  the  total  height  fifteen  feet  six  inches,  and  weighs 
about  fifteen  tons.  The  die  or  lettered  piece  of  monu 
ment  rests  on  two  bases  and  contains  the  following 

inscriptions : 

Front  : 

5  New  Jersey  Vols. 

Col.  William  J.  Sewell. 

3d  Brig.  2d  Div.  3d  Corps. 

July  2,  1863. 

Left  side: 

The  Regiment  first  held  the  skirmish  line  400  yards 
to  the  front  and  left  of  this  spot,  and  afterwards  to 
position  in  the  line  of  battle  here. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  347 


Right  side : 

Losses — Killed,  18;  wounded,  60;  missing,  16;  total, 
94,  being  one-half  the  number  engaged. 

On  a  polished  band  on  front  of  second  base  or 
plinth  in  raised  letters  the  legend : 

Erected  by  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  1888. 
Back  : 

Mustered  in  August  22,  1861. 
Consolidated  with  ;th  Regiment  N.  J.  Vols. 

Nov.  6.  1864. 
Engaged  in  32  battles. 

The  shaft  has  an  emblem  carved  in  high  relief,  con 
sisting  of  two  muskets,  cartridge  box  and  belt,  with  a 
laurel  wreath  at  the  stocks,  enclosing  a  large  figure  5 
in  centre.  These  military  accoutrements  are  full  size 
and  modeled  from  the  actual  implements,  being  cor 
rect  in  every  detail.  The  neck  of  the  shaft  has  a  band 
of  thirteen  polished  face  stars  raised  above  the  surface. 
The  monument  is  finished  with  an  appropriate  cap, 
and  is  an  imposing  and  handsome  structure.  The 
design  and  the  work  is  by  Messrs.  Frederick  £  Field 
of  Quincy,  Mass. 

SIXTH    NEW   JERSEY    REGIMENT. 

This  monument,  erected  near  the  Devil's  Den,  is  of 
the  obelisk  style  and  is  composed  of  four  pieces.  It 
measures  five  feet  six  inches  square  at  the  bottom  and 
stands  nineteen  feet  high.  On  front  of  the  second  base 
or  plinth  is  carved  on  the  stone  the  corps  badge,  the 


348  NE  W  JERSE  Y  TROOPS 


face  of  which  is  highly  polished.  On  this  rests  the  die 
piece  each  side  of  which  is  polished,  and  contains  the 
following-  inscriptions  : 

l:ront  : 

6th  New  Jersey  Volunteers. 

Lieut.  Col.  S.  R.  Gilkyson. 

3d  Brig.  (Burling's) 

2d  Div.  3d  Corps. 

Erected  by  State  of  New  Jersey  1888. 

Right  : 

Engaged  here  July  2,   1863,  being  detached  from 

the  Brigade. 

Supported  batteries  on  Cemetery  Ridge,  July  3. 
Losses— Killed,  5  ;  wounded,  29  ;  missing,/.     Total,  41. 

Left  : 

Mustered  in  Aug.  19,  1861. 

Consolidated  with  8th  Regt.  N.  J.  V.  Oct.  12,  1864. 
Engaged  in  30  battles. 

The  top  of  the  die  is  heavily  moulded  and  on  front  is 
a  finely  carved  United  States  shield.  Around  the  top 
of  the  die  under  the  moulding  is  a  row  of  carved  rifle 
balls.  On  the  die  rests  the  obelisk  having  on  its  front 
two  crossed  muskets  and  a  wreath  of  laurel  finely 
carved  in  bold  relief.  The  monument  is  constructed  of 
the  best  quality  of  selected  Barre  granite  and  weighs 
about  twelve  tons.  Messrs.  Frederick  &  Field  are  the 
contractors  and  makers. 


MONUMENT  BATTKRY  R,  IST  N.  J.  ART 
(Clark's  Battery.) 


350  XE\V  JERSEY  T ROOTS 


SEVENTH    NEW   JERSEY    INFANTRY 

The  stone  which  marks  the  heroic  services  of  this 
regiment  is  unique  in  character  and  different  from  any. 
thing  else  on  the  field.  It  is  a  correct  representation 
of  a  minie  ball,  and  is  of  mammoth  proportions,  and 
mounted  on  two  bases.  These  bases  are  of  light 
Quincy  granite  finely  dressed,  and  the  rifle  ball  is  of 
dark  Quincy  highly  polished.  The  dark  color  of  the 
polished  surface  of  the  ball  makes  a  fine  contrast  with 
the  light  color  of  the  cut  surfaces  of  the  bases,  and  the 
effect  is  decidedly  novel  and  pleasing.  The  first  base 
measures  six  square  feet  chamfered  on  top  to  receive 
another  octagon  base.  On  the  front  side  is  raised  a 
large  Third  Corps  badge  on  which  appears  the  figure 
7  enclosed  by  a  carved  laurel  wreath.  The  other  seven 
sides  contain  the  inscriptions  on  polished  surfaces  as 
follows : 

No.  i  — ;th  New  Jersey  Vols.  July  2,  1863. 

No.  2— *Killed  24,  wounded  77,  missing  13,  total  1 14. 

No.  3 — Here  Colonel  Francine  fell. 

No.  4— First  Position  300  yards  N.  E.  of  this.  Heav 
ily  engaged  there.  Moved  here  to  reinforce 
Graham's  brigade. 

No.  5— Erected  by  the  State  of  New  Jersey  i88<S. 

No.  6  — Mustered  in  Sept.  3,  1861.  Mustered  out 
July  17,  1865.  Engaged  in  38  battles. 

No.  7-   3d  Brig.  2d  Div.  30!  Corps. 


*  This  is  an  error.     The  casualties  will   be  found  on   page  258  of  this 
book. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  351 


The  rifle  ball  measures  three  feet  two  inches  in 
diameter,  and  the  whole  monument  will  stand  ten  feet 
six  inches  high  above  foundation,  and  will  weigh 
about  twelve  tons.  The  foundation  being  raised  about 
two  and  a-half  feet  from  the  ground  surface,  with  a 
symmetrical  mound  of  earth  and  grass  at  the  base 
makes  it  one  of  the  most  attractive  objects  on  the 
ground.  Messrs.  Frederick  &  Field  of  Quincy,  Mass., 
are  the  designers  and  makers. 

EIGHTH    REGIMENT   NEW   JERSEY    VOLUNTEERS. 

This  monument,  situated  beyond  the  famous  wheat- 
field,  is  a  graceful  shaft,  surmounted  by  a  cap,  the 
crowning  feature  of  which  is  the  Third  Corps  badge. 
The  base  measures  five  feet  four  inches  square,  on 
which  rests  a  second  base  or  plinth,  which  supports 
the  die  or  lettered  piece  of  the  monument.  This  die 
measures  three  feet  one  inch  square,  and  is  four  feet 
three  inches  high.  On  the  front  appears  the  figure  8 
encircled  by  a  finely  carved  laurel  wreath.  The  shaft 
rests  upon  the  die,  and  is  handsomely  embellished, 
having  in  front  two  crossed  muskets  and  flag  carved  in 
high  relief.  The  cap  surmounting  the  shaft  is  finely 
moulded  and  carved.  The  monument  was  made  by 
Messrs.  Frederick  &  Field  of  Quincy,  Mass.,  and  is 
constructed  of  the  best  quality  of  light  Quincy  granite, 
and  weighs  thirteen  tons.  The  following  are  the 
inscriptions  on  the  stone  : 


352  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


Front  : 

8th  New  Jersey  Volunteers. 

Col.  John  Ramsey. 

3d  Brig.  (Burling's) 

2d  Div.  3d  Corps. 

Erected  by  tlje  State  of  New  Jersey  1888. 

Right  : 

Engaged  here  July  2,  1863,  being  detached  from 

the  Brigade. 
Supported  batteries  on  Cemetery  Ridge  July  3d. 

Took  into  action  1 70. 

Killed  7;  wounded  7  officers,  31  men;  missing  2. 
Total  47. 

Left  : 

Mustered  in  Sept.  14,  1861. 
Mustered  out  July  17,  1865. 

Engaged  in  38  Battles. 

Casualties—  Killed  8  officers,  125  men;  wounded  38 
officers,  583  men.  Died  2  officers,  149  men.  Total  905. 

ELEVENTH    NEW   JERSEY    INFANTRY. 

The  handsome  design  for  the  monument  to  this 
regiment  is  by  The  Smith  Granite  Company  of  Boston, 
Mass.,  and  represents  an  open  book,  mounted  on  a 
pedestal  of  rock  work.  It  stands  about  ten  feet  in 
height  and  is  finely  proportioned.  It  stands  near  the 
Smith  or  Essex  house  on  the  Emmetsburg  road,  and 
shows  the  most  advanced  position  held  by  the  regi 
ment  during  its  fierce  struggle  with  superior  numbers 
of  the  enemy.  The  following  are  the  inscriptions: 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  353 

nth  New  Jersey  Vols. 

Col.    Robert   McAllister. 

ist  Brig.   2d    Div.   3d  Corps. 

July  2,   1863. 

Mustered   in   August    18,    1862. 
Mustered  out  July  1865. 

Engaged  in  29  Battles. 
Erected  by  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  1888. 

This  stone  marks  the  spot  reached  by  the  right  of 
the  regiment,  the  left  extending  toward  the  southeast. 
The  position  was  held  under  a  sev ere  fire  which  killed 
or  disabled  nearly  three-fifths  of  the  regiment,  includ 
ing  every  officer  present  above  the  rank  of  lieutenant. 

Number  engaged  275.  Killed  31,  wounded  109, 
missing  13.  Total  153.  Of  the  missing  six  are  sup 
posed  to  have  been  killed. 

BATTERY    "A"   FIRST   NEW  JERSEY   ARTILLERY. 

The  monument  for  this  battery  is  of  symmetrical 
proportions  and  beautiful  in  design.  Its  general 
dimensions  are  as  follows :  Base  five  feet  square  and 
total  height  ten  feet.  It  is  hexagonal  in  design  and 
surmounted  by  a  counterfeit  cannon  ball  which  adds 
to  the  attractiveness  of  its  appearance,  and  the  whole 
is  made  of  granite  from  the  quarries  at  Barre,  Vt. 
The  design  and  workmanship  are  by  George  Brown  & 
Co.,  of  Newark,  N.  J.  The  following  inscriptions  are 
cut  in  square  sunken  letters : 
23 


354  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


Front :  ,,, 

Battery  A  i.  N.  J.  Art.,  from  its  position  in  reserve 
S.  W.  of  Powers'  Hill,  galloped  into  action  at  3  P.  M. 
July  3,  1863.  Fired  120  rounds  shrapnel  at  Pickett's 
column,  and  80  shell  at  a  battery  in  left  front. 

Erected  by  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  1888. 

Sout/i  side: 

Served  August  12,  1861,  to  June  22,  1865. 
Engaged  in  30  battles. 

North    side  : 

Losses — Killed  2,  wounded  7.  Position  in  action  45 
yards  E.  of  this  stone. 

CLARK'S    BATTERY   "  B  "  FIRST   NEW   JERSEY 
ARTILLERY. 

This  monument  is  a  large  massive  structure,  measur 
ing  at  bottom  six  feet  three  inches  long  and  five  feet 
three  inches  wide.  Its  height  is  twelve  feet  six 
inches  and  weighs  thirteen  tons.  It  consists  of  but 
four  pieces  and  is  constructed  throughout  of  the  best 
dark  Quincy  granite.  The  die  or  lettered  piece  of 
monument  measures  four  feet  long,  three  feet  wide 
and  is  five  feet  eight  inches  high.  On  each  end  is 
carved  a  representation  of  a  cannon  and  two  rammers 
which  are  faithful  reproductions  of  the  guns  actually 
used  by  this  battery  at  Gettysburg.  The  finial  or  cap 
has  a  band  of  thirteen  stars  and  terminates  with  an 
enlarged  representation  of  a  cannon  ball  which  is  cut 
solid  on  the  stone,  and  is  highly  polished.  The  style 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  355 


of  the  monument  is  pleasing  and  eminently  suitable  for 
the  brave  battery  for  whose  services  it  is  erected  by  a 
grateful  State.  The  polished  ball  crowning  the  monu 
ment  is  especially  suitable  and  is  well  calculated  to 
show  the  beauty  of  the  Quincy  granite.  The  die 
piece  contains  the  following  inscriptions : 

Front  : 

Clark's  Battery. 

Battery  B,  ist  New  Jersey  Artillery  fought  here 
from  2  until  7  o'clock  on  July  2,  1863,  firing/3OO  rounds 
of  ammunition.  Losses  -  -  Killed  4,5  wounded  16 ; 
missing  3. 

Erected  by  State  of  New  Jersey,  1888. 

Rear : 

Mustered  in  September  3,  1861. 

Mustered  out  June  16,  1865. 

Engaged  in  26  battles,  including  all  the  important 
actions  on  the  Peninsula,  Fredericksburg,  Chancellors- 
ville,  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  Cold  Harbor,  Peters 
burg,  Appomattox. 

FIRST   NEW   JERSEY   CAVALRY. 

The  position  of  this  regiment  near  Rummel's  farm, 
about  three  miles  from  the  battle-field  proper,  is 
marked  by  a  handsome  stone.  The  monument  is  a 
massive  structure  consisting  of  six  pieces,  and  is  six 
feet  square  at  bottom  and  fifteen  feet  high.  It  is 
surmounted  by  an  elaborate  emblem,  carved  in  the  best 
manner  representing  saddle,  uniform,  carbine,  sabre, 


356  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


bugle,  and  in  fact  all  the  implements  used  by  cavalry. 
This  emblem  is  two  feet  four  inches  by  two  feet  four 
by  three  feet  four  inches  in  height,  and  is  a  fine  piece 
of  artistic  carving  in  Westerly  granite,  all  the  rest  of 
the  monument  being  of  dark  Quincy  granite.  The  die 
piece  on  which  the  lettering  is  put  is  two  feet  nine 
inches  by  two  feet  nine,  and  six  feet  high.  At  the  top 
is  a  band  of  raised  polished  face  stars.  The  die  is 
polished  on  all  four  sides.  The  cap  is  three  feet  five 
inches  square  by  one  foot  ten  inches,  and  on  the 
front  is  the'cavalry  corps  badge  raised  on  a  pediment 
the  face  of  which  is  highly  polished.  The  weight  of 
this  monument  is  about  fourteen  tons,  and  Messrs. 
Frederick  &  Field  are  the  designers.  The  following 
are  the  inscriptions  on  the  stone : 

North  Front  : 

First  New  Jersey  Cavalry. 

Maj.  Myron  H.  Beaumont. 

ist  Brigade,  2cl  Cavalry  Division. 

July  3,  1863. 
Erected  by  the  State  of  New  Jersey  1888. 

West  SMc: 

Organized  in  September,  1861,  and  served  to  the  end  of 

the  War.     Participated  in  97  Engagements. 

Lost_Killed  in  Action,  79;  Died  of  Wounds,  etc.,  170; 

Died  prisoners  of  war,  34  ;  Missing  (supposed 

dead),  12. 


MONUMENT  FIRST  N.  J.  CAVALRY. 


358  NE  W  JER  SE  Y  TROOPS 

East  Side  : 

Fought   here   July    3,    1863,    both    mounted    and    dis 
mounted,  holding  this  position  several  hours. 
Assisted  in  repelling  the  charges 
of  the  Enemy^s  Cavalry. 

South  Side  : 
OFFICERS   KILLED    IN    BATTLE   DURING   THE   WAR. 

Col.  Hugh  H.  Janeway.  Capt.  Moses  H.  Malesbury, 

Lt.-Col.  Virgil  Broderick.  Lieut.  Alexander  Stewart. 
Maj.  John  H.  Shellmire.  "       Edward  E.  Jemison. 

"     James  H.  Hart.  "       John  W.  Bellis. 

"     John  H.  Lucas.  "       Voorhees  Dye. 

Capt.  Thomas  R.  Haines.  "       Alanson  Austin. 


THE  DEDICATION. 

The  formal  dedication  of  the  New  Jersey  monu 
ments  took  place  on  Saturday,  June  3Oth,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Governor,  Comptroller  and  Adjutant- 
General,  in  connection  with  the  Gettysburg  Commis 
sion  of  the  State.  A  provisional  regiment  from  the 
National  Guard,  commanded  by  Colonel  Campbell  of 
the  First  Regiment,  survivors  of  New  Jersey  regi 
ments  present  at  the  battle,  and  a  large  number  of 
citizens  and  public  men  were  present  by  invitation  of 
the  State.  His  Excellency  Governor  Robert  S.  Green 
was  the  orator  of  the  occasion  and  five-minute  addresses 
were  made  by  representatives  of  the  several  regiments 
who  participated  in  the  battle. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 


MAJOR-GENERAL  JOSEPH  HOOKER. 

Joseph  Hooker  was  born  in  Hadley,  Mass.,  November 
13,  1814;  graduated  at  AVest  Point  July  i,  1837;  served  on 
frontier  and  garrison  duty  till  1846,  and  1846-48,  in  the  war 
with  Mexico  on  the  staff  of  Generals  Persifer  Smith, 
Hamer  and  Butler;  in  1847  appointed  assistant  adjutant- 
general  ;  brevetted  captain,  major  and  lieutenant-colonel 
for  gallantry  at  Monterey,  the  National  Bridge,  and 
Chepultepec.  In  February,  1853,  he  resigned  from  the 
army  and  engaged  in  farming  in  California,  also  as  super 
intendent  of  military  roads  in  Oregon.  On  the  outbreak 
of  the  civil  war  (1861)  he  tendered  his  services  to  the 
government  and  was  appointed  (May  17,  1861,)  brigadier- 
general  of  volunteers,  serving  in  the  defences  of  Washing 
ton  and  on  the  lower  Potomac  until  March,  1862,  when  he 
was  assigned  to  the  command  of  a  division  of  the  Third 
Corps,  Army  of  the  Potomac  ;  in  the  Peninsular  campaign, 
1862,  was  engaged  in  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  April- 
May;  battle  of  Williamsburg,  May  5;  Fair  Oaks  (second 
day),  Frazier's  Farm  and  Malvern  Hill.  Promoted  to  be 
major-general  of  volunteers,  to  date  from  the  battle  of 
Williamsburg,  continuing  in  command  of  a  division  and 
engaged  at  the  battle  of  Manassas,  August  29-30,  and 
Chantilly,  September  i;  appointed  to  command  the  First 
Corps,  September  6,  1862,  he  displayed  great  bravery  at 
South  Mountain  and  Antietam,  being  severely  wounded  at 
the  latter  battle  and  disabled  until  November  when  he 
returned  to  the  field,  having  in  the  mean  time  (September 


360  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

20)  been  appointed  brigadier-general  in  the  regular  army, 
and  on  Burnside's  succession  to  the  command  of  the  Army 
of   the    Potomac    was   assigned    to   command    the   centre 
grand  division  (Third  and  Fifth  Corps)  in  the  new  organi 
zation  of  that  army.     In  January,  1863,  succeeded  Burnside 
in  command  of   the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  in  May  fol 
lowing  fought  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville.     At  the  time 
of  the  invasion  of  Pennsylvania,  the  Army    of  the    Poto 
mac    had  reached    the   vicinity  of    Frederick,    Md.,  when, 
owing    to    the    refusal    of    General    Halleck    to    place   the 
troops  at   Harper's  Ferry  at  the  disposal  of  Hooker,  the 
latter  requested  to  be  (June  27),  and  was,  relieved  from  the 
command   of   the   army  the  next  morning.     For  the  skill 
and   energy   by   which   he   first   covered   Washington   and 
Baltimore    from    the    meditated    blow    of    the    advancing 
enemy,    General     Hooker    received     the    thanks    of    Con 
gress.       In    September,     1863,    he    was    assigned    to    the 
command    of     the     Eleventh     and    Twelfth     Corps,    and 
accompanied     them      west      where     they     were      consoli 
dated  into    the  Twentieth   Corps,  Army    of    the    Cumber 
land  ;     was    distinguished    at    the    capture    of    Lookout 
Mountain,  battle  of  Missionary  Ridge  (November  24-25), 
the  pursuit   of   the   Confederate  army,  and   the   action  of 
Ringgold,   Ga.,   November    27,  .1863.     In    the    invasion    of 
Georgia  by  the  army  of  General  Sherman,  Hooker  led  his 
corps  in  the  almost  constant  fighting  up  to  and   including 
the    siege    of    Atlanta,    until    July    30,    1864,    when    on    a 
question  of  command  he  was  relieved   at  his  own  request. 
He  subsequently  commanded   the   Northern   Department, 
the    Department    of    the    East,    and    that    of    the    Lakes; 
brevetted  major-general  United  States  Army  for  gallantry 
at  Chattanooga,  and  October,  1868,  retired  upon  full  rank 
of  major-general.     General  Hooker  died  October  31,  1879, 
at  his  home  in  Garden  City,  L.  I. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  36: 


MAJOR-GENERAL  GEORGE  G.  MEADE,  U.  S.  A. 

George  Gordon  Meade  was  born  in  Cadiz,  Spain, 
December  31,  1815,  during  the  consulship  of  his  father, 
Richard  W.  Meade.  On  the  return  of  the  family  to  the 
United  States,  George  was  sent  to  the  famous  school 
for  boys  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  then  kept  by  the  late 
Chief  Justice  Salmon  P.  Chase.  In  1831  he  entered  the 
United  States  Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  where 
he  was  graduated  four  years  later,  and  commissioned 
a  brevet  second  lieutenant  of  the  Third  United  States 
Artillery.  He  received  the  full  rank  the  same  year,  and 
took  part  in  the  Seminole  Indian  War  in  Florida.  In 
1836  he  resigned  his  commission  and  engaged  in  civil 
engineering.  In  1842  he  returned  to  the  artillery  under 
appointment  as  second  lieutenant  of  topographical  engi 
neers.  During  the  Mexican  War  he  served  as  engineer 
on  the  staffs  of  Generals  Taylor  and  Scott,  distinguishing 
himself  in  the  battles  of  Palo-Alto,  Resaca-de-la-Palma 
and  Monterey,  and  receiving  as  an  acknowledgement  of 
his  gallantry  a  brevet  of  first  lieutenant.  He  was  pro 
moted  to  a  full  first  lieutenancy  in  August,  1851,  and  to  a 
captaincy  of  engineers  in  May,  1855. 

Upon  the  first  call  of  the  National  Government  for  vol 
unteers  in  1861,  Meade  was  summoned  to  Washington, 
appointed  a  brigadier-general  of  volunteers,  and  assigned 
to  the  command  of  the  Second  Brigade  of  the  Pennsyl 
vania  Reserve  Corps.  Soon  after  the  Corps  was  attached 
to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  was  engaged  in  the 
advance  on  Richmond. 

During  the  Peninsula  campaign  General  Meade  took 
an  active  part  in  the  battles  of  Mechanicsville,  Gaines' 
Mill  and  Glendale,  being  severely  wounded  in  the  latter. 
He  speedily  recovered,  however,  and  in  September,  1862, 
was  assigned  to  the  command  of  a  division  in  the  First 


362  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

Army  Corps.  He  again  distinguished  himself  in  the 
battles  of  South  Mountain  and  Antietam,  and  when  Gen 
eral  Hooker  was  wounded  in  the  latter  engagement, 
General  Meade  was  placed  in  command  of  the  Corps, 
sustaining  a  slight  wound  and  having  two  horses  killed 
beneath  him.  For  his  services  in  this  emergency  he  was 
promoted  to  be  major-general  of  volunteers  in  November, 
1862.  On  General  Hooker's  recovery,  General  Meade 
returned  to  the  command  of  his  division,  and  with  it  led 
the  attack,  in  December,  1862,  at  Fredericksburg.  During 
the  same  month  he  was  placed  in  command  of  the  Fifth 
Corps,  and  with  it  proceeded  to  Chancellorsville,  where 
it  covered  the  retreat  of  the  army. 

On  June  28,  1863,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  being  at 
Frederick,  Md.,  President  Lincoln  appointed  General 
Meade  commander-in-chief,  as  successor  to  General 
Hooker,  who  had  resigned.  About  the  middle  of  July 
General  Meade  recrossed  into  Virginia,  where  he  had 
several  encounters  with  the  enemy  in  October  and  Novem 
ber,  1863.  He  was  second  in  command  during  the  opera 
tions  against  Richmond  in  1864,  his  immediate  army 
fighting  the  battles  of  the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania  Court 
House  and  Cold  Harbor,  and  being  engaged  in  the  siege 
of  Petersburg.  Beyond  the  honors  conferred  upon  him, 
already  mentioned,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major 
of  engineers  in  the  Regular  Army  June  18,  1862;  advanced, 
by  the  several  grades  of  lieutenant-colonel  and  colonel, 
to  the  brigadier-generalship  in  the  Regular  Army  July  3, 
1863;  received  the  thanks  of  Congress  during  the  session 
of  1863-64  ;  and  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major- 
general  in  the  Regular  Army,  to  date  from  August  18, 
1864,  on  Febuary  i,  1865.  When,  on  July  i,  1865,  the 
army  was  reorganized  on  a  peace  basis,  he  was  assigned 
to  the  command  of  the  Military  Division  of  the  Atlantic, 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  363 

with  headquarters  at  Philadelphia,  where  he  resided  in  a 
dwelling  presented  his  wife  by  the  citizens  until  his  death 
on  November  6,  1872. 

MAJOR-GENERAL    HUGH    JUDSON    KILPATRICK. 

Hugh  Judson  Kilpatrick,  major-general  United  States 
Volunteers,  was  born  near  Deckertown,  N.  J.,  January  14, 
1836.  He  entered  the  United  States  Military  Academy 
at  West  Point  on  June  20,  1856,  and,  with  a  number  of 
advanced  students,  was  graduated  in  April,  1861,  by 
special  permission  of  the  War  Department  on  the  prof 
fered  pledge  that  they  would,  as  young  officers,  complete 
their  education  on  the  field  of  battle.  The  day  he  was 
graduated  he  was  also  married  and  mustered  into  the 
military  service.  He  was  appointed  a  second  lieutenant 
of  artillery  on  May  6,  and  commissioned  captain  in  the 
Fifth  Regiment  of  New  York  Volunteers,  better  known 
as  Duryea's  Zouaves,  three  days  later.  This  regiment 
was  then  encamped  at  Fortress  Monroe.  During  a  battle 
on  June  10  he  was  wounded  in  the  right  thigh  with  a 
grape  shot. 

Kilpatrick  resumed  the  field  in  September  following, 
and  was  commissioned  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Second 
Regiment  of  New  York  Cavalry  Volunteers,  the  "  Harris 
Light  Cavalry,  "  of  which  he  became  colonel  in  December, 
1862,  and  was  also  promoted  to  be  first  lieutenant  in  the 
Regular  Army.  In  addition  to  these  promotions  he  was 
appointed  a  member  of  the  board  for  examining  the 
cavalry  officers  of  the  volunteer  service,  and  inspector- 
general  of  General  McDowell's  division.  In  July  and 
August  he  made  a  series  of  raids  for  the  purpose  of  break 
ing  up  the  Confederate  General  Jackson's  communication 
with  Richmond,  striking  the  Virginia  Central  Railroad 
at  Beaver  Dam,  Frederick  Hall  and  Uanover  Junction, 


364  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


inflicting  all  the  damage  possible.  He  participated  in  the 
Rappahannock  campaign,  in  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run 
and  many  minor  actions  in  the  Maryland  campaign,  and 
in  General  Stoneman's  raid  to  the  rear  of  General  Lee's 
army,  commanded  a  brigade  of  cavalry.  His  boldness  as 
a  cavalry  officer  was  a  marvel  alike  to  friend  and  foe. 
He  was  promoted  to  be  a  brigadier-general  of  volunteers 
in  June.  1863,  and  at  the  memorable  battle  of  Gettysburg 
he  commanded  both  a  brigade  and  a  division. 

In  April,  1864,  at  General  Sherman's  request,  Kilpatrick 
was  ordered  to  duty  with  that  army  in  the  West,  and 
sustained  a  severe  wound  in  the  battle  of  Resaca  in  the 
following  month.  He  was  forced  by  his  suffering  to 
return  to  the  North;  but  as  soon  as  he  heard  of  General 
Sherman's  intentions  toward  Atlanta,  he  hastened  to  join 
his  old  chief.  During  the  March  to  the  Sea  and  the 
subsequent  passage  through  the  Carolinas,  he  commanded 
the  cavalry  and  was  actively  engaged,  although  obliged 
to  avail  himself  of  the  use  of  a  carriage  that  his  officers 
fitted  up  for  him. 

In  June,  1865,  he  was  promoted  to  be  a  maior  general 
of  volunteers;  in  the  following  December  he  resigned  his 
commission  in  the  Regular  Army,  and  in  January,  1866, 
his  commission  in  the  volunteer  army.  These  resigna 
tions  were  prompted  by  his  appointment,  in  November, 
1865,  as  United  States  Minister  to  Chili,  an  office  he  held 
till  1868,  when  he  was  recalled.  While  residing  at  Santi 
ago,  the  Chilian  capital,  he  was  married  to  the  niece  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  Archbishop,  who  subsequently  accom 
panied  him  to  his  Deckertown  home.  In  the  Spring  of 
1881,  he  was  re-appointed  Minister  to  Chili,  and  died  at 
his  post  on  December  6  of  that  year.  His  remains  were 
brought  to  the  United  States,  reaching  New  York  on 
October  13,  1887, .and,  after  lying  in  state  in  the  Gover- 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG    CAMPAIGN.  365 

nor's  Room  of  the  City  Hall,  were  taken  to  West  Point 
and  buried  in  the  military  cemetery  on  the  i8th,  with  the 
honors  due  his  courage,  his  skill  and  his  rank. 

MAJOR-GENERAL  ALFRED  T.  A.  TORBERT. 

Alfred  T.  A.  Torbert,  major-general  United  States 
Volunteers,  was  a  native  of  Delaware,  born  in  July,  1833. 
He  was  graduated  at  the  United  States  Military  Academy 
at  West  Point  in  1855;  commissioned  a  brevet  second  lieu 
tenant,  and  assigned  to  the  Fifth  United  States  Infantry. 
On  reporting  for  duty  he  was  first  engaged  in  conducting 
recruits  to  Fort  Mclntosh,  Texas  ;  then  in  scouting  against 
the  Lipan  Indians  in  the  hostilities  against  the  Seminoles 
in  Florida  ;  again  on  frontier  duty  with  the  Utah  expedi 
tion  ;  and  in  1860  in  the  march  to  New  Mexico.  At  the 
outbreak  of  the  civil  war,  Lieutenant  Torbert  was  sent  to 
New  Jersey,  where  he  was  employed  in  mustering  volun 
teers  into  the  service  from  April  till  September,  1861.  In 
the  latter  month  he  was  appointed  Colonel  of  the  First 
New  Jersey  Volunteers,  and,  with  his  regiment,  partici 
pated  in  the  Peninsula  campaign  in  Virginia,  being 
engaged  in  the  siege  of  Yorktown  and  the  actions  at  West 
Point,  Games'  Mills,  and  Charles  City  Cross  Roads. 

On  August  28,  1862,  he  was  given  command  of  a  brigade 
in  the  Sixth  Army  Corps,  and  fought  in  the  second  battle 
of  Bull  Run,  at  South  Mountain,  where  he  was  wounded, 
and  at  Antietam.  His  distinguished  services  in  these 
actions  gained  for  him  promotion  to  the  rank  of  brigadier- 
general  of  volunteers,  his  commission  bearing  the  date  of 
November  29,  1862.  In  June,  1863,  he  returned  from  his 
sick  leave,  was  assigned  to  duty  with  his  old  corps,  and 
took  part  in  its  operations  during  the  winter  of  1863-64. 
During  the  Richmond  campaign  he  won  high  encomiums 


366  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

by  his  dashing  and  discreet  conduct  as  a  cavalry  officer, 
being  in  command  of  the  cavalry  through  General  Sheri 
dan's  notable  raid.  He  assumed  command  of  the  First 
Division  on  General  Sheridan's  return,  and  was  in  many 
actions  in  the  summer  of  1864,  Hawes'  Shop  and  Cold 
Harbor  being  among  them.  As  chief  of  cavalry  of  the 
Middle  Military  Division,  he  was  an  active  participant  in 
all  the  operations  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  and  was 
subsequently  in  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Shenandoah 
and  of  various  districts  in  Virginia,  till  January  15,  1866, 
when  he  was  mustered  out  of  the  volunteer  service.  He 
was  successively  brevetted  major,  lieutenant-colonel,  colo 
nel,  and  brigadier  -  general,  for  his  gallantry  at  Hawes' 
Shop,  Winchester,  and  Cedar  Creek,  and  major-general 
for  gallant  and  meritorious  services  in  the  field  during  the 
war. 

On  being  mustered  out  of  the  service  he  retired  to  his 
home  in  Milford,  Del.,  but  had  been  scarcely  three  years  in 
private  life  when  President  Grant  appointed  him  United 
States  Minister  to  the  Central  American  States.  Two 
years  later  he  was  sent  to  Havana  as  consul-general,  and 
thence  to  Paris  in  the  same  capacity.  He  entered  upon 
his  duties  in  the  French  capital  in  the  latter  part  of  1873, 
and  held  the  office  till  May,  1878.  On  August  25,  1880, 
General  Torbert  sailed  from  New  York  city  in  the  Havana 
steamship  "  City  of  Vera  Cruz,"  and  was  drowned  in  the 
foundering  of  that  vessel  off  the  Florida  coast  on  Sunday 
morning  following  (29th).  His  body  was  washed  ashore, 
and  recovered  and  reverently  buried  by  some  of  the  saved 
seamen  who  were  attracted  by  his  handsome  appearance 
and  stalwart  figure.  It  was  subsequently  disinterred  and 
and  brought  north  under  a  military  escort  detailed  by  the 
Secretary  of  War. 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  367 

COLONEL  SAMUEL  L.  BUCK. 

Colonel  Samuel  L.  Buck,  who  commanded  the  Second 
Regiment  New  Jersey  Volunteers  at  Gettysburg,  was  born 
of  revolutionary  stock  at  Bethel,  Vt.,  June  8,  1820.  In 
infancy  he  was  taken  to  Montreal,  Province  of  Quebec, 
and  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  first  Canadian  rebellion 
enlisted  in  the  Montreal  Rifle  Battalion  which  was 
detailed  for  garrison  duty  during  the  absence  of  the 
regular  troops.  A  short  time  after  this  he  was  living  in  the 
city  of  New  York,  and  in  the  year  1838  enlisted  in  the 
Sixth  Regiment  National  Guard  of  New  York.  From 
there  Colonel  Buck  removed  to  Newark,  N.  J.,  and  his 
love  of  military  life  caused  him  in  1850  to  join  the  "Union 
Blues,"  which  was  afterward  incorporated  with  the  Newark 
City  Battalion,  New  Jersey  State  Militia,  and  was  com 
missioned  first  lieutenant  and  adjutant. 

In  response  to  the  call  for  seventy-five  thousand  three 
months'  men  about  sixty  or  seventy  men  of  the  City 
Battalion  organized  at  once  and  elected  Adjutant  Buck 
captain.  Active  measures  were  taken  to  organize  a  regi 
ment,  which  was  speedily  effected,  and  at  the  election  for 
field  officers  Captain  Buck  was  elected  major.  Mustered 
in  the  United  States  service  at  Trenton  as  the  Second 
Regiment  New/Jersey  Volunteers,  it  was  ordered  to  Wash 
ington,  D.  C.  After  a  week  or  more  delay  in  Washington 
the  regiment  was  ordered  to  report  to  General  Runyon  at 
Alexandria,  Va.  Shortly  after  the  first  Bull  Run  battle 
the  regiment  was  brigaded  with  the  First  and  Third  regi 
ments  under  General  Kearny  as  the  First  New  Jersey 
Brigade.  On  the  3ist  of  December,  1861,  Colonel  McLean 
resigned  and  Major  Buck  was  promoted  lieutenant-colo 
nel.  At  the  battle  of  Games'  Mills  (or  Farms)  Colonel 
Tucker  was  killed  and  Major  Ryerson  wounded  and 


368  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

captured.  From  that  time  up  to  and  after  the  battle  of 
Antietam  Lieutenant- Colonel  Buck  was  the  only  field 
officer  in  the  regiment.  At  New  Baltimore,  Md.,  July  i, 
1862,  he  received  his  commission  as  colonel.  At  the  battle 
of  Salem  Heights,  while  in  command  of  the  brigade, 
Colonel  Buck  had  his  shoulder  dislocated  by  his  horse 
falling  under  him,  and  being  ordered  to  Washington  for 
medical  treatment  was  placed  on  court-martial  duty, 
where  the  second  invasion  of  Maryland  found  him.  By 
special  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War  Colonel  Buck  was 
granted  leave  to  join  his  regiment,  which  he  did  and  con 
tinued  with  it  to  the  close  of  the  campaign,  when  he 
returned  to  Washington  for  medical  treatment.  During 
the  Wilderness  campaign  under  General  Grant  until  the 
regiment  reached  White  House  Colonel  Buck  commanded 
the  regiment.  As  the  three  years  for  which  it  enlisted  had 
expired  some  time  previous  to  this  the  regiment  was 
ordered  home  for^muster  out,  and  on  July  21,  1864,  Colonel 
Buck  received  his  honorable  discharge. 

COLONEL    HENRY  W.  BROWN. 

Colonel  Henry  W.  Brown  of  the  Third  Regiment,  is  a 
native  of  Boston,  Mass.,  and  at  the  beginning  of  the  Civil 
War,  resided  in  Philadelphia.  He  was  engaged  in  recruit 
ing  a  company  in  that  city  and  was  invited  to  take  charge 
of  a  full  company  in  Woodbury,  N.  J.,  which  he  accepted, 
turning  over  his  Philadelphia  men  to  H.  G.  Sickell,  who 
was  at  that  time  organizing  a  company  in  Philadelphia. 
On  the  29th  day  of  April  he  received  his  commission  as 
captain  of  Company  A,  Third  New  Jersey  Regiment  and 
was  mustered  in  May  22,  1861.  On  the  3ist  of  the  same 
month  he  was  promoted  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  regiment 
and  on  May  15,  1862,  was  promoted  colonel  to  succeed 
Colonel  Taylor,  who  had  been  promoted  brigadier-gen- 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  369 

eral.  Colonel  Brown  served  faithfully  with  his  regiment 
and  performed  distinguished  and  gallant  services.  At 
Salem  Heights,  Va.,  on  May  3,  1863,  he  was  wounded, 
while  commanding  the  brigade,  and  again  at  Spottsyl- 
vania,  Va.,  on  May  12,  1864,  he  was  severely  injured  by  a 
shot  from  the  enemy.  Colonel  Brown  remained  in  the 
service  until  the  close  of  the  war  and  was  mustered  out  at 
Trenton,  June  23,  1864. 

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL  CHARLES  EWING. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Charles  Ewing  was  born  in  the  city 
of  Trenton,  N.  J.,  Sunday,  June  6,  1841.  He  was  the  son 
of  Francis  A.  Ewing,  M.  D.,  and  grandson  of  the  Chief 
Justice  of  New  Jersey  whose  name  he  bore.  In  August, 
1859,  he  sailed  as  master's  mate  in  the  United  States 
Steamer  Sumter  for  the  African  Coast,  and  on  that 
station  was  transferred  to  the  United  States  Frigate  San 
Jacinto.  He  was  sent  home  (to  Norfolk,  Va.)  as  one  of 
the  officers  in  charge  of  a  slaver  captured  by  the  latter 
vessel,  arriving  in  January,  1861,  just  before  the  outbreak 
of  the  rebellion.  In  April  of  that  year  he  went  out 
as  ensign  of  Company  A,  Third  Regiment,  under  the 
President's  call  for  three  months'  troops,  being  then  not 
quite  twenty  years  of  age.  On  their  return  in  July  he 
went  to  recruiting  for  the  Sixth  Regiment  New  Jersey 
Volunteers,  three  years'  troops,  and  on  September  9,  1861, 
was  commissioned  captain  of  Company  B.  He  served 
with  this  regiment  until  January  8,  1863,  when  he  was 
promoted  major  and  transferred  to  the  Fourth  Regiment 
New  Jersey  Volunteers.  He  was  in  command  of  this 
regiment  during  the  Gettysburg  campaign  and  on  Sep 
tember  n,  1863,  was  commissioned  lieutenant-colonel. 
Colonel  Ewing  was  constantly  in  service  in  the  field,  and 
was  several  times  wounded,  once  at  Second  Bull  Run, 
24 


370  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


again  at  Fredericksburg  Heights,  and  again  while  on 
picket  duty.  At  the  expiration  of  the  term  of  service  of 
the  regiment,  they  reenlisted  for  the  war  and  Colonel 
Ewing  went  with  them.  At  Spottsylvania  Court  House 
he  received  a  serious  and  nearly  fatal  wound,  being  shot 
through  the  body,  which  kept  him  an  invalid  for  a  long 
time  and  finally  caused  his  honorable  discharge.  He 
regained  ordinary  health,  but  never  fully  recovered  from 
the  effects  of  his  wound.  Colonel  Ewing  died  in  Trenton 
March  14,  1872,  in  the  thirty-first  year  of  his  age. 

BREVET   MAJOR-GENERAL  WILLIAM  J.  SEWELL. 

In  the  list  of  casualties  at  Gettysburg,  every  field  officer 
of  the  five  New  Jersey  regiments  engaged  on  the  second  of 
July — except  in  the  case  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Gilkyson 
of  the  Sixth  Regiment — was  wounded,  some  of  them 
mortally.  On  this  roll  of  honor  appears  the  name  of 
Colonel  William  J.  Sewell,  of  the  Fifth  New  Jersey. 
Colonel  Sewell  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1835,  and  coming  to 
the  United  States  at  an  early  age,  developed  a  strong  love 
for  his  adopted  country  as  he  advanced  in  years.  When 
the  call  for  troops  to  serve  for  three  years  was  issued, 
Sewell  recruited  a  company  for  the  Fifth  New  Jersey 
Volunteers,  and  on  the  28th  of  August,  1861,  received  his 
commission  as  Captain  of  Company  C.  On  the  yth  of 
July,  1862,  he  was  promoted  to  be  lieutenant-colonel  of  the 
regiment,  and  on  the  recalling  of  Colonel  Starr,  to  his  post 
in  the  regular  army,  Sewell  was  on  October  21,  1862,  com 
missioned  Colonel  of  the  Fifth  Regiment.  In  all  the 
trying  emergencies  of  army  life  Sewell  was  never  found 
wanting.  Always  watchful  for  the  interests  of  his  men  he 
exacted  from  them  a  faithful  performance  of  duty,  and  so 
well  did  each  come  to  know  the  other  that  the  regiment 
was  noted  for  its  steadiness  and  bravery  under  the  most 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  371 


trying  circumstances.  This  faculty,  possessed  by  few  men, 
exhibited  itself  most  conspicuously  at  the  battle  of 
Chancellorsville,  when  Sewell  led  the  whole  brigade  into  a 
charge,  and  accomplished  a  signal  and  valuable  service. 
The  brigade,  under  General  Mott,  had  heroically  defended 
its  position  on  the  Plank  road  against  superior  numbers  of 
the  enemy.  General  Mott  was  wounded,  and  Colonel 
Sewell  assumed  command.  The  men  were  exhausted  from 
their  severe  labors,  and  had  expended  almost  all  their 
ammunition.  As  no  relief  came  to  them  they  withdrew. 
The  enemy  at  this  time  grew  bold  in  the  prospect  of 
victory,  and  taking  possession  of  some  works  which  had 
been  thrown  up  for  the  protection  of  artillery,  they 
defiantly  opened  fire  upon  the  Federal  lines.  Colonel 
Sewell  seeing  the  importance  of  retaking  the  position 
gallantly  led  the  brigade  to  the  charge  and  drove  the 
rebels  from  the  works.  But  that  fatality  which  seemed  to 
accompany  every  daring  movement  at  Chancellorsville, 
was  experienced  by  Sewell — the  brigade  was  not  supported 
and  the  brave  Jerseymen  were  compelled  to  fall  back 
exposed  to  a  terrible  fire  and  suffering  great  loss. 

Colonel  Sewell's  wounds  at  Gettysburg  were  severe,  and 
prevented  his  doing  active  service  in  the  field  for  some 
time.  He  recovered,  however,  but  during  the  Wilderness 
campaign  he  was  prostrated  by  exposure.  On  the  second 
of  July,  1864,  he  resigned  owing  to  ill-health,  but  in 
September  following  he  accepted  the  colonelcy  of  the 
Thirty-eighth  Regiment  and  remained  with  it  until  its 
term  of  service  expired — October,  1864.  He  was  brevetted 
brigadier-general  for  gallantry  and  distinguished  services 
at  Chancellorsville,  and  major-general  of  United  States 
Volunteers,  for  meritorious  services  during  the  war. 

At  the  time  of  the  railroad  strikes  in  1877  General  Sewell 
was  appointed  by  Governor  Parker  provisional  commander 


372  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

of  the  State  forces  at  Phillipsburg,  and  to  his  well-known 
reputation  for  military  ability  and  personal  bravery,  is 
largely  due  the  subsidence  of  the  trouble. 

In  public  affairs  General  Sewell  has  occupied  a  promi 
nent  place.  He  represented  Camden  county  in  the  State 
Senate  for  three  successive  terms,  and  in  1880  was 
president  of  that  body.  He  was  elected  to  the  United 
States  Senate  in  1881,  succeeding  ex-Governor  Theodore 
F.  Randolph,-  and  served  until  March  4,  1887,  when  his 
term  expired. 

BRIGADIER-GENERAL  GEORGE  C.  BURLING. 

General  George  C.  Burling,  the  commander  of  the 
Second  New  Jersey  Brigade,  which  did  such  heroic  service 
on  the  second  day  of  July  at  Gettysburg,  was  born  on  the 
iyth  day  of  February,  1834,  in  Burlington  county,  New 
Jersey,  a  few  miles  from  the  city  of  Burlington.  He  was 
reared  on  his  father's  farm  and  educated  at  a  private 
school  conducted  by  Mr.  Aaron  at  Norristown,  Mont 
gomery  county,  Pa.  He  entered  into  business  life  in 
Burlington  at  an  early  age,  and  at  the  breaking  out  of  the 
war  was  engaged  in  the  retail  coal  business.  He  was  a 
public-spirited  young  man  and  identified  himself  with 
various  measures  in  which  his  neighbors  and  friends  were 
interested,  being  at  this  time  captain  of  the  "Marion 
Rifles  "  of  Burlington — Company  K,  Fourth  New  Jersey 
Militia.  He  promptly  offered  his  services  with  his  com 
pany  to  Governor  Olden,  and  was  accepted  and  mustered 
in  for  three  months'  service  on  the  2yth  of  April,  1861.  On 
their  return  home  and  muster  out  in  July,  1861,  Captain 
Burling  immediately  recruited  his  original  command,  and 
with  it,  a  company  of  over  one  hundred  men,  was  mustered 
in  for  three  years'  service  on  September  9,  1861,  and  was 
designated  as  Company  F,  Sixth  Regiment  New  Jersey 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  373 

Volunteers.  On  March  19,  1862,  he  was  promoted  major 
and  on  May  7,  1862,  received  his  commission  as  lieutenant- 
colonel.  On  the  promotion  of  Colonel  Mott  to  brigadier- 
general  of  United  States  Volunteers,  Burling  was  promoted 
colonel  of  the  Sixth  Regiment,  and,  as  the  senior  officer, 
commanded  the  brigade  at  Gettysburg,  a  position  he  held 
until  October  of  the  same  year,  when  ill-health  caused  him 
to  relinquish  it,  and  compelled  him  to  resign  on  March  4, 
1864.  He  was  brevetted  brigadier-general  on  March  13, 
1865. 

On  the  i5th  of  October,  1862,  while  colonel  commanding 
the  Sixth  New  Jersey  Volunteers,  Colonel  Burling  married 
Miss  J.  T.  Reckless  of  Abingdon  township,  Montgomery 
county,  Pa.  (formerly  of  Philadelphia),  and  their  wedding 
tour  extended  to  Colonel  Burling's  headquarters  at  Alex 
andria,  Va.,  where  the  bride  remained  until  the  command 
was  ordered  away.  After  the  close  of  the  war,  with  his 
health  greatly  broken  he  went  with  his  family  to  reside  on 
a  farm  near  Byberry  (Twenty-third  ward  of  Philadelphia). 
Subsequently  he  became  connected  with  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad,  at  their  main  office,  Fourth  street  below  Walnut, 
Philadelphia.  General  Burling  died  at  his  residence  1842 
North  Eighteenth  street,  Philadelphia,  on  December  24, 
1885,  from  a  pulmonary  cancer,  the  result  of  a  contused 
wound  received  at  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville.  He  had 
been  wounded  twice  previous  to  this — at  Williamsburg, 
May  5,  1863,  and  at  Second  Bull  Run,  August  29-30. 

COLONEL    LOUIS  R.  FRANCINE. 

Colonel  Louis  R.  Francine,  of  the  Seventh  Regiment 
New  Jersey  Volunteers,  was  born,  one  account  says,  at 
Dillerville,  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania,  March  26, 
1838.  Another  account  says  he  was  born  in  Philadelphia 
in  1839.  He  was  by  profession  a  civil  engineer,  graduated 


374  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


from  the  Polytechnic  College  at  Philadelphia  in  1855,  then 
went  to  Europe  in  1856  and  was  graduated  from  the 
L'Ecole  Polytechnique  at  Paris.  At  the  outbreak  of 
hostilities  Francine  was  about  entering  upon  the  prac 
tice  of  his  profession,  but  when  the  call  for  three  year 
troops  was  issued  he  recruited  Company  A  of  the  Seventh 
Regiment  and  was  commissioned  its  captain  on  September 
18,  1861.  He  was  senior  captain  and  acted  as  field  officer 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  Peninsula  campaign.  July 
8,  1862,  he  was  promoted  lieutenant-colonel,  and  on 
December  gih  of  the  same  year  was  commissioned  colonel,, 
succeeding  Colonel  Revere  who  had  been  promoted 
brigadier-general  United  States  Volunteers.  Colonel 
Francine  was  a  brave  and  fearless  officer  and  was  engaged 
in  rallying  his  men  when  he  received  the  wound  at  Gettys 
burg  from  the  effects  of  which  he  died  on  July  16,  1863. 
He  was  buried  from  one  of  the  churches  in  Philadelphia 
with  military  honors,  Major-General  A.  A.  Pleasonton 
commanding  the  funeral  escort.  His  remains  are  interred 
at  Laurel  Hill  Cemetery.  For  his  gallant  services  at 
Gettysburg  Colonel  Francine  was  brevetted  brigadier- 
general  of  volunteers  on  July  2,  1863. 

BREVET  MAJOR-GENERAL  JOHN  RAMSEY. 

General  John  Ramsey,  who  commanded  the  Eighth 
Regiment  New  Jersey  Volunteers  at  Gettysburg  and  was 
wounded  there,  was  one  of  the  young  soldiers  of  the  army, 
arid  became  noted  for  his  daring  and  energy.  He  was 
born  in  the  city  of  New  York  October  7,  1838,  and  was  in 
his  twenty-third  year  when  hostilities  began.  On  the  iyth 
of  April,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Second 'Regi 
ment  New  Jersey  Volunteers  for  three  months,  as  a  private, 
and  was  subsequently  elected  first-lieutenant  by  his  com 
pany,  being  mustered  in  April  25th.  On  the  election 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  375 


of  Captain  H.  M.  Baker  to  the  colonelcy  Ramsey  was 
made  captain  on  May  i,  1861.  He  was  mustered  out  with 
his  regiment  at  the  expiration  of  its  term  of  service,  July 
31,  1861.  The  command  participated  in  no  battles  and 
Ramsey,  who  had  little  relish  for  that  sort  of  soldiering, 
reentered  the  service  on  August  17,  1861,  as  captain  of 
Company  B,  Fifth  Regiment  New  Jersey  Volunteers,  and 
remained  in  the  army  until  the  war  was  fought  out,  being 
mustered  out  July  17,  1865.  On  the  7th  of  May,  1862,  he 
was  promoted  major  of  the  Fifth  for  distinguished  gal 
lantry  at  the  battle  of  Williamsburg,  and  on  October  21, 
1862,  was  commissioned  lieutenant-colonel  of  his  regiment. 
In  April,  1863,  he  was  promoted  Colonel  of  the  Eighth 
Regiment. 

Colonel  Ramsey  took  an  active  part  in  all  the  campaigns 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  from  the  Peninsula,  under 
McClellan,  to  the  surrender  of  Lee  at  Appomattox  on 
April  9,  1865 — on  which  day  his  command  formed  part  of 
the  advance  line.  The  only  important  battle  in  which  he 
was  not  a  participant  was  Antietam,  caused  by  the  deten 
tion  of  the  Third  Corps  in  the  vicinity  of  Washington 
after  the  defeat  of  Pope  at  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run 
This  corps  had  been  sent  from  Harrison's  Landing  to  join 
Pope  at  Warrenton  with  all  possible  despatch,  and  reached 
there  only  to  be  ordered  back.  On  the  way  back  to 
Centreville  they  engaged  the  enemy  in  numerous  skirm 
ishes,  and  receiving  orders  to  proceed  to  the  front  again 
encountered  Jackson  at  Bristoe,  whom  they  compelled  to 
retire,  and  reached  Pope  a  day  or  two  before  the  second 
battle  of  Bull  Run,  in  which  Ramsey's  command  took 
part,  as  also  in  the  battle  of  Chantilly.  The  Third  Corps 
then  proceeded  to  Alexandria,  and  the  Second.  New  Jersey 
Brigade  was  ordered  to  move  in  light  marching  order.  To 
make  all 'possible  speed  in  reaching  their  destination,  their 


376  NEW  JERSE  Y  TROOPS 


effects  were  put  on  board  the  cars,  and  these  being  burned, 
all  was  lost.      The  men  were  used  up,  many  of  them  with 
out  shoes,  and  other  articles  of  clothing,  and  were  in  no 
condition    for    the  Maryland  campaign,    which    they  were 
thus      prevented      participating     in.       For     distinguished 
services  in  the  campaign  before  Richmond,  Colonel  Ram 
sey   was    brevetted    brigadier-general    and    by   a    special 
order  of  President  Lincoln,  he  was  assigned  to  duty  with 
that  rank.     On  June  5,  1864,  General  Ramsey  was  assigned 
to  the  command  of  the  Second  Brigade,  Second  Division, 
Second  Army  Corps,  known  as  the  Corcoran  Legion,  and 
was   one   of   the   commands    that   was    ordered   to  attack 
Petersburg  on  the  night  of  June  16,  1864,  in  which  engage 
ment    General    Ramsey   was   wounded.      When    able   for 
duty   he   was   given    the   command   of   the   First    Brigade, 
First  Division,  Second  Army  Corps,  and  remained  with  it 
until  he  assumed  command  of  the  First  Division,  Second 
Army  Corps.     General  Ramsey  was  five  times  wounded — 
at  Second   Bull  Run,  Chancellorsville,  Wilderness,  Gettys 
burg    and    Petersburg.       On    March    13,     1865,    he    was 
brevetted   major-general   of  United    States  Volunteers  for 
gallant  and  meritorious  services  during  the  war. 

MAJOR-GENERAL  ROBERT  McALLISTER. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Juniata  county, 
Pennsylvania,  on  June  i,  1813,  in  which  State  he  spent 
the  early  years  of  his  life,  but  his  war  record  belongs  to 
New  Jersey,  with  whose  troops  he  served  during  the  con 
tinuance  of  the  conflict.  He  was  one  of  the  very  first  to 
take  up  arms  in  defence  of  the  Union,  and  he  was  present 
in  the  field  when  General  Lee  surrendered  at  Appomattox. 
When  the  First  Regiment,  three  years'  volunteers,  was 
being  recruited,  McAllister  was,  on  May  21,  1861,  com 
missioned  its  lieutenant-colonel,  and  with  it  proceeded  to 


IN  THE  GP2T7^YSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  377 

the  Capital.  He  was  a  quiet,  steady,  fearless  man,  of 
even  temperament  and  thoroughly  self-possessed.  Lieu 
tenant-Colonel  McAllister  remained  with  the  First  New 
Jersey  Regiment  until  June  30,  1862,  when  he  was  com 
missioned  colonel  of  the  Eleventh  New  Jersey  Regiment, 
then  being  recruited.  This  regiment  was  mustered  into 
the  United  States  service  August  18,  1862,  and  was 
assigned  to  the  First  Brigade,  Second  Division,  Third 
Army  Corps.  At  Fredericksburg  and  Chancellorsville 
Colonel  McAllister  displayed  marked  heroism.  At  Gettys 
burg  he  was  wounded  during  the  second  day's  fighting  in 
the  left  leg  with  a  minie  ball,  and  in  the  right  foot  with  a 
fragment  of  shell.  For  three  months  he  was  unable  to 
take  the  field,  but  with  this  exception  he  served  continu 
ously  through  the  war,  from  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run  to 
the  surrender  of  Lee  at  Appomattox.  Colonel  McAllister 
was  brevetted  brigadier-general  for  his  glorious  behavior 
at  the  first  "Bull  Pen,"  as  the  tremendous  fight  on  Boyd- 
ton  Plank  road,  October  27,  1864,  was  styled,  and  major- 
general  for  meritorious  conduct  throughout  the  war. 
Since  the  war  he  has  been  engaged  as  general  manager  of 
the  Ironton  Railroad  Company,  in  mining  and  shipping 
ore  to  the  furnaces  in  Lehigh  Valley. 

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL  JOHN  SCHOONOVER. 

John  Schoonover  was  born  at  Bushkill,  Pa.,  August  12, 
1839.  He  received  his  education  from  the  common  schools 
of  his  native  place,  and  the  instructions  of  the  Rev.  J.  K. 
Davis,  of  Smithville,  Pa.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  began 
the  work  of  teaching  and  preparation  for  college.  The 
outbreak  of  the  rebellion  found  him  thus  employed  at 
Oxford,  Warren  county,  N.  J.  Soon  after  the  proclama 
tion  of  President  Lincoln  calling  for  seventy-five  thousand 
men  to  serve  for  three  months,  Schoonover  joined  a  com- 


378  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


pany  raised  by  Captain  Campbell  at  Belvidere.  The 
company  reported  at  Trenton,  but  so  quickly  had  the 
State's  quota  been  filled — the  four  regiments?  being  com 
pleted  in  seven  days — that  they  reached  the  Capital  too 
late  for  acceptance.  As  the  company  was  about  to  return 
to  Belvidere,  Captain  Campbell  stepped  to  the  front  and 
asked  all  who  were  willing  to  go  with  him  for  three  years 
to  do  likewise  ;  but  seven  responded — Schoonover  being 
one  of  the  seven — the  number  of  three  year  patriots  being 
so  small  all  returned  to  their  homes.  But  Schoonover's 
patriotism  was  not  of  the  kind  that  could  rest  content 
with  the  acquisition  of  such  laurels  as  these,  and  we  soon 
find  him  again  at  Trenton  as  a  private  in  Company  D 
(Captain  Valentine  Mutchler)  First  New  Jersey  Regiment 
for  three  years.  This  regiment  left  the  State  June  28, 
1861.  The  following  September  Schoonover  was  made 
corporal.  The  ensuing  winter,  Colonel  Torbert,  then 
commanding  the  First  Regiment,  issued  an  order  directing 
each  captain  to  select  a  sergeant  to  prepare  for  examina 
tion,  the  one  standing  the  highest  to  receive  a  commission 
as  second-lieutenant  of  Company  D.  No  sergeant  of  D 
being  willing  to  stand  the  trial,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  selected  to  represent  that  company.  Four  only 
appeared  for  examination,  the  successful  one  being  Com 
missary  Sergeant  S.  G.  Blythe.  Schoonover,  standing 
second,  was  promoted  commissary  sergeant,  dating  from 
March  24,  1862.  He  served  in  that  position  until  August 
2,  1862,  when  he  received  a  commission  as  adjutant  of  the 
Eleventh  New  Jersey  Volunteers,  then  organizing  at 
Trenton.  The  Eleventh  left  the  State  on  August  25,  1862, 
and  was  first  engaged  in  Burnside's  attack  upon  Freder- 
icksburg.  This  first  engagement  proved  to  the  men  of  the 
Eleventh  that  their  adjutant  was  one  on  whom  they  could 
depend.  During  the  desperate  fighting  of  the  regiment 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  379 


in  the  woods  at  Chancellorsville  on  May  3  and  4,  1862, 
Adjutant  Schoonover  was  conspicuous  for  his  bravery  and 
coolness,  and  received  honorable  mention  therefor.  On 
the  second  of  July  at  Gettysburg  he  received  two  wounds 
and  six  bullet  holes  through  his  clothing,  and  on  the  third 
his  horse  was  shot  under  him.  He  again  received  slight 
wounds  at  Spottsylvania  and  at  Barker's  Mills,  but  he  never 
thought  his  wounds  sufficiently  severe  to  necessitate  going 
to  the  rear.  He  was  commissioned  lieutenant-colonel  in 
1863  and  brevetted  colonel  March  13,  1865,  for  conspicuous 
gallantry. 

MAJOR  JOHN  T.  HILL. 

Major  John  T.  Hill  was  born  in  New  Brunswick,  N.  J., 
July,  1836,  and  he  was  therefore  twenty-five  years  of  age 
when  the  war  broke  out,  at  which  time  he  was  a  clerk  in 
the  Park  Bank  of  New  York  City.  He  had  no  previous 
military  training  and  took  but  little  interest  in  military 
affairs,  but  his  patriotism  was  of  the  most  practical  sort. 
When  hostilities  opened  he  joined  a  militia  company  in  his 
native  city,  passing  through  all  the  grades  from  a  private 
in  the  ranks  to  captain  of  the  company.  When  recruiting 
began  for  the  Eleventh  New  Jersey  Volunteers  Major 
Charles  Herbert,  private  secretary  for  Governor  Olden, 
sought  to  obtain  for  Captain  Hill  the  adjutancy,  but 
recruiting  for  the  command  was  so  slow  that  the  officers 
became  very  much  discouraged.  Company  "  I "  had 
enrolled  about  thirty  men,  and  it  seemed  impossible  to 
rise  beyond  that  number.  Major  Herbert  sent  word  to 
Captain  Hill  that  if  he  would  take  the  company  as  it  was 
and  fill  it  up  to  the  required  number  he  should  have  the 
captaincy.  Notwithstanding  the  discouragements  which 
had, operated  against  enlistments  Captain  Hill  consented, 
resigning  his  position  in  the  bank,  and  at  once  began  the 


380  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

work  of   recruiting,  in  a  comparatively  short  time  securing 
the  enrollment  of  one  hundred  and  three  names.     He  was 
at   once   commissioned    and    became   second    in    order   of 
seniority,   Captain  Martin  having    been    mustered   in    one 
week    before.      The    Eleventh    Regiment,    under   Colonel 
McAllister,  went  to  Washington  in  August,  1862,  and  just 
before  the   battle  of   Fredericksburg  was  assigned   to  the 
Third  Army  Corps,  taking  part  in  that  desperate  engage 
ment.     The  following  April  Captain  Hill  received  a  com 
mission   as   major   of    the    Twelfth    New   Jersey   Infantry, 
and  joined  that  command  in   the  latter  part  of  the  same 
month,  a  short  time  before  the  beginning  of  the  Chancel- 
lorsville  campaign.      The   Twelfth    Regiment  was   in  the 
Second     Brigade,    Third     Division,    Second    Army    Corps, 
and  was  closely  engaged  with  the  enemy.      After  the  rout 
of    the    Eleventh    Corps,     Colonel    Willets    being    badly 
wounded   in    the    early    part    of  the    fight,    the    command 
devolved  upon   Major    Hill,  owing  to    the  absence   of  the 
lieutenant-colonel,  who  was  sick.     The  Twelfth  sustained 
severe    losses    in   this  engagement,   and   did    heroic    work 
under  the  command  of   Major   Hill.      At   Gettysburg  the 
regiment    was  also  under  his  command,  and  its  splendid 
achievements   on    that    battle-field    are   fully   recorded    in 
the    preceding     pages.       After     the     battle     Major     Hill 
remained    in    command    until    the    return    of    Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Davis  the  latter  part  of  the  Summer  of  1863,  and 
was  soon  after  stricken  down  with   inflammatory  rheuma 
tism,    which    prostrated     him    for    two    years.       He    was 
discharged  from  the  hospital  at  Annapolis  in  1864,  much 
against  his  will,  but  the  board  of  army  surgeons  exercised 
the  arbitrary  power  conferred   upon  them  and  compelled 
him  to   take  an   involuntary,  though  honorable  discharge. 
Major   Hill's  military    record    throughout    was    that    of   a 
brave    and    faithful   officer,    a   trusted   and    honored    com- 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  381 

mander,  and  his  enforced  withdrawal  from  service  was 
regretted  by  all  his  comrades  in  arms.  He  still  resides  in 
the  city  of  New  Brunswick,  and  is  President  of  the  Ninth 
National  Bank,  New  York  City. 

COLONEL  WILLIAM  E.  POTTER. 

William  Elmer  Potter,  the  youngest  son  of  James  Boyd 
and  Jane  Barren  Potter,  was  born  June  13,  1840,  in  Bridge- 
ton,  Cumberland  county,  New  Jersey.  His  grandfather, 
Colonel  David  Potter,  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  and 
saw  considerable  service.  He  was  first  colonel  of  the 
second  battalion  of  Cumberland,  and,  as  such,  was  in  com 
mand  of  his  regiment  forming  a  part  of  the  brigade  of 
Brigadier-General  Hugh  Mercer,  at  Perth  Amboy  in  the 
Autumn  of  1776.  He  was  elected  brigadier-general  by  the 
Legislature  of  New  Jersey,  February  21,  1777,  but  declined 
the  appointment.  He  again  entered  active  service  as  colo 
nel  of  a  battalion  of  State  troops.  On  the  twentieth  of 
September,  1777,  by  order  of  Governor  Livingston,  he  was 
detached  in  command  of  the  effective  troops  of  the  brigade 
of  Brigadier-General  Silas  Newcomb  to  reinforce  the  main 
army  under  General  Washington,  then  retreating  after  the 
disastrous  battle  of  the  Brandywine.  He  crossed  the  Dela 
ware  with  his  command,  and  in  some  one  of  the  skirmishes 
preliminary  to  the  battle  of  Germantown,  or  in  that  battle 
itself,  it  is  not  now  known  which,  he  was  taken  prisoner  by 
the  enemy.  He  was  confined  for  a  long  time  upon  the  prison 
hulks  in  Long  Island  Sound,  and  was  afterward  released 
upon  parole,  and  was  not  exchanged,  at  least  as  late  as 
1781.  He  was  afterward  marshal  of  the  Admiralty  Court 
of  New  Jersey,  sheriff  of  the  County  of  Cumberland,  and 
one  of  the  commissioners  to  ratify  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  having  determined   upon  the 


382  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


law  as  a  profession,  entered  the  office  of  Honorable  John 
T.  Nixon,  as  a  student,  in  October,  1857.  He  remained 
until  September,  1859,  and  the  same  month  became  a 
student  at  the  law  school  of  Harvard  University.  From 
this  school  he  graduated  in  January,  1861,  with  the  degree 
of  LL.  B.,  and  in  September  of  the  same  year  entered  the- 
junior  class  of  Princeton  College.  Under  the  spur  of 
patriotic  ardor  he  abandoned  his  collegiate  studies,  and  in 
July  of  the  following  year  enlisted  in  Company  K,  Twelfth 
Regiment  New  Jersey  Volunteers.  He  was  commissioned 
second  lieutenant  of  the  same  company  August  14,  1862, 
and  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States  as  such 
September  4,  1862.  He  was  promoted  to  a  first  lieutenancy 
of  the  same  company  and  regiment  August  6,  1863,  and  to 
the  captaincy  of  Company  G  February  4,  1864.  Captain 
Potter  became  brevet-major  United  States  Volunteers  for 
meritorious  services,  May  i,  1865,  by  promotion  of  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  and  was,  in  1866,  commis 
sioned  aide-de-camp  to  Governor  Marcus  L.  Ward,  of  New 
Jersey,  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel,  upon  whose 
staff  he  served  for  three  years. 

While  in  the  field  with  his  regiment  he  was  detailed  as 
ordnance  officer  of  the  Third  Division,  Second  Army 
Corps,  and  acted  as  such  in  the  campaigns  of  Chancellors- 
ville  and  Gettysburg,  on  the  staff  of  Major  General 
William  H.  French,  and  with  Brigadier-General  Alexander 
Hays.  He  served  in  that  capacity  until  October  i,  1863^ 
and  was  then  appointed  judge-advocate  of  the  division  on 
the  staff  of  General  Hays,  continuing  thus  until  he 
rejoined  his  regiment  and  took  command  of  his  company. 
He  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  while  in 
command  of  his  company  on  the  sixth  of  May,  1864,  and 
reported  again  for  duty  at  Cold  Harbor,  Va.,  June  4,  of  the 
same  year.  On  the  first  of  July,  1864,  he  was  detailed  as 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG   CAMPAIGN.  383 


aide-de-camp  to  Colonel  Thomas  A.  Smyth,  commanding 
Third  Brigade,  Second  Division  of  the  Second  Army  Corps. 
On  the  first  of  August,  1864,  he  was  made  judge-advocate 
on  the  staff  of  Major-General  John  Gibbon,  commanding 
the  Second  Division,  Second  Army  Corps,  and  served  thus 
until  January  15,  1865,  when  he  was  detailed  as  aide  to 
Major-General  John  Gibbon,  commanding  the  Twenty- 
fourth  Army  Corps,  Army  of  the  James,  and  as  acting 
judge-advocate  of  the  corps.  He  remained  on  duty  in  the 
latter  capacity  until  mustered  out  of  service,  June  4,  1865. 
During  this  period  Colonel  Potter  was  present  in  the 
following  engagements  :  Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg, 
Auburn,  Bristoe  Station,  Blackburn's  Ford,  Locust  Grove, 
campaign  of  Mine  Run,  Morton's  Ford,  Wilderness,  Cold 
Harbor,  the  entire  campaign  of  Petersburg,  Deep  Bottom 
(first  and  second  engagements),  Reams'  Station,  Hatcher's 
Run,  Boydton  Road,  assault  and  capture  of  Petersburg, 
Rice's  Station  and  Appomattox  Court  House.  By  an 
order  from  headquarters,  Twenty-fourth  Army  Corps,  in 
company  with  five  other  officers,  he  was  detailed  to  deliver 
the  colors,  surrendered  by  General  Lee's  army,  seventy-six 
in  number,  to  Honorable  Edward  M.  Stanton  of  the  War 
Department,  which  ceremony  occurred  on  May  i,  1865. 
He  was  the  only  New  Jersey  officer  present  on  this 
occasion. 

Colonel  Potter,  during  his  military  career,  displayed 
gallantry  and  judgment,  which  won  for  him  the  highest 
encomiums  from  his  superior  officers.  Colonel  Potter 
received  from  Princeton  College  his  degree  of  A.  B.  in 
1863  and  of  A.  M.  in  1866.  He  was  admitted  as  an 
attorney  at  law  in  1865,  and  as  a  counselor  in  1869.  Hav 
ing  begun  practice  in  Bridgeton,  he,  in  1870,  formed  a 
co-partnership  with  J.  Boyd  Nixon,  with  whom  he  has 
since  continued  his  professional  labors,  and  attained  a 
prominent  position  at  the  bar  of  New  Jersey. 


384  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

He  was  a  delegate  to  the  Republican  National  Conven 
tion  at  Chicago  in  1868,  as  also  to  the  convention  held  at 
Cincinnati  in  1876,  and  an  elector  on  the  Garfield  ticket  in 
1880.  He  was  elected  an  honorary  member  of  the  Society 
of  the  Cincinnati  of  New  Jersey,  July  4,  1874,  and  presi 
dent  of  the  New  Jersey  Officers'  Association  for  1880.  The 
colonel  was,  on  the  27th  of  May,  1869,  married  to  Alice, 
daughter  of  the  late  Alfred  Eddy,  D  D.,  of  Niles,  Mich. 
Their  children  are  Alfred  E.,  James  Boyd,  David,  Alice, 
and  Francis  Delavan. 

BREVET    BRIGADIER -GENERAL    EZRA    A. 
CARMAN. 

Ezra  A.  Carman,  colonel  of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment 
New  Jersey  Volunteers,  entered  the  service  in  1861,  being 
commissioned  on  September  i4th  of  that  year  lieutenant- 
colonel  of  the  Seventh  Regiment.  He  was  wounded  in  the 
battle  of  William sburg,  Va.,  May  5,  1862,  and  was  commis 
sioned  colonel  July  8,  1862.  He  organized  the  Thirteenth 
Regiment,  which  he  commanded,  and  with  it  proceeded  to 
Washington  on  August  3ist.  He  was  disabled  at  Antietam 
and  Chancellorsville,  and  at  Gettysburg  was  placed  in 
command  of  a  provisional  brigade,  which  was  sent  -to 
support  Gregg's  cavalry,  on  the  evening  of  July  3d.  At 
the  close  of  the  Gettysburg  campaign  three  regiments  of 
the  brigade  to  which  the  Thirteenth  belonged  were  sent  to 
New  York  to  aid  in  quelling  the  riots  which  had  been  in 
progress  there  and  Colonel  Carman  commanded  the  bri 
gade  then  composed  of  the  Thirteenth  New  Jersey,  One 
Hundred  and  Seventh  and  One  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  New 
York  Regiments.  When  the  Thirteenth  Regiment,  with 
the  Twelfth  Corps,  went  west,  he  was  appointed  president 
of  a  military  commission  which  held  its  sessions  in 
Tullahoma,  Tenn.  In  the  Atlanta  campaign  the  Thirteenth 


IN  THE  GRTTYSBUG  CAMPAIGN.  385 


Regiment  was  frequently  engaged  with  the  enemy, 
notably  at  Resaca,  Cassville,  Pumpkin  Vine  Creek— some 
times  called  Dallas  and  also  New  Hope  Church — Nancy's 
Creek,  Buffalo  Creek,  Peach  Tree  Creek,  Kulp's  Farm, 
and  several  times  in  front  of  Atlanta,  on  each  occasion 
winning  golden  opinions  for  its  gallantry  and  bravery. 
On  the  March  to  the  Sea,  Colonel  Carman  commanded  the 
brfgade,  and  in  front  of  Savannah  held  the  extreme  left  of 
the  army.  The  brigade  was  ordered  to  the  South  Carolina 
shore,  for  the  purpose  of  closing  up  Hardee's  only  avenue 
of  escape,  but  that  wily  officer,  afraid  of  a  movement  of 
that  kind,  as  he  had  noted  the  crossing  of  the  brigade  to 
Argyle  Island  in  the  middle  of  the  Savannah  river,  evacu 
ated  the  city,  which  was  entered  by  part  of  the  Second 
Division  of  the  Twentieth  Corps,  who  captured  a  guard 
detail  of  the  enemy  who  were  unable  to  get  away.  At 
Savannah  Colonel  Carman  was  ordered  to  Nashville  on 
special  duty.  He  was  brevetted  brigadier-general  of 
volunteers  for  gallant  and  meritorious  services  during  the 
war  to  date  from  March  13,  1865. 

BREVET    BRIGADIER-GENERAL    FREDERICK    H. 

HARRIS. 

General  Frederick  Halsey  Harris,  of  the  Thirteenth 
Regiment,  New  Jersey  Volunteers,  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Newark,  N.  J.,  March  7,  1830.  He  is  descended  on  the 
maternal  side  from  the  Baldwin  and  Gould  families,  who 
settled  in  Newark  over  two  hundred  years  ago.  His 
grandfather,  Robert  Baldwin,  was  born  in  Orange,  N.  J., 
and  was  engaged  in  the  war  of  1812,  on  the  New  Jersey 
coast.  His  mother  was  a  grand-daughter  of  General  Will 
iam  Gould  of  Caldwell.  His  father's  ancestors  were 
originally  of  Welsh  origin  and  the  date  of  their  settlement 
in  this  country  is  forgotten.  Moses  Harris,  the  grand- 
25 


386  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

father  of  General  Harris  was  born  in  Morrisania,  New 
York,  and  in  1X05  moved  to  Newark,  N.  J.,  when  the 
father  of  the  general  was  an  infant.  He  was  engaged  for 
many  years  in  business  near  the  corner  of  Market  and 
Broad  streets  in  Newark  as  a  merchant  tailor.  His 
father's  mother  was  a  Halsey  and  came  originally  from 
Elizabeth,  N.  J.  William  H.  Harris,  his  father,  was  an 
architect  and  builder  for  many  years  in  Newark,  where  he 
learned  his  trade. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended  private  school  in 
Newark  when  a  boy,  being  one  of  the  attendants  at  the 
Newark  Academy — where  the  postoffice  building  now 
stands — afterward  attending  the  select  school  of  Reverend 
William  R.  Weeks,  D.  D.,  on  Washington  street.  In  the 
Fall  of  1844  he  was  sent  to  the  Bloomfield  Academy,  then 
under  the  management  of  Messrs.  Holt  &  Rindler,  where 
he  remained  until  the  Fall  of  1847.  A  long-cherished 
desire  to  enter  Princeton  College,  for  which  he  was  pre 
paring,  was  interfered  with  by  the  serious  illness  of  his 
father,  who  urgently  requested  him  to  leave  school  and 
temporarily  abandon  the  proposed  college  course  and  the 
profession  of  medicine,  which  he  then  contemplated.  This 
put  an  end  to  his  schooling;  until  1858  he  remained  in 
business  with  his  father,  when  he  began  the  reading  of 
law  in  the  office  of  Charles  R.  Waugh,  Esq.,  afterward 
presiding  judge  of  Essex  county,  and  in  the  office  of  David 
A.  Hayes,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  June, - 
1862. 

The  urgent  call  for  troops  after  the  Peninsula  campaign1 
led  him  to  begin  recruiting  for  the  Thirteenth  Regiment, 
both  in  the  city  of  Newark  and  township  of  Bloomfield, 
and  on  the  25th  of  August,  1862,  his  company,  E,  was 
mustered  into  the  United  States  service  with  the  regiment, 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  387 


and  on  Sunday,  August  31,  proceeded  to  Washington.  He 
participated  in  the  Chancellorsville  campaign  and  at  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg,  Company  E  was  the  color  company 
of  the  regiment.  During  his  military  service  Captain 
Harris  was  constantly  with  his  regiment  and  on  frequent 
important  occasions  commanding  it,  notably  at  the 
time  of  the  advance  of  the  army  to  Atlanta,  where 
the  Thirteenth  under  Colonel  Harris  was  sent  out 
to  support  the  skirmish  line  then  heavily  engaged. 
Advancing  his  regiment  to  a  knoll  overlooking  the 
enemy's  breast  works,  he  halted  it  there,  and  when  the 
skirmish  line  was  driven  back,  he  deployed  the  right  and 
left  companies  as  skirmishers,  until  the  skirmish  line  ad 
vanced  and  reestablished  itself.  This  was  the  nearest  point 
to  Atlanta  ever  reached  by  any  command  during  the  siege, 
and  it  was  fortified  by  the  Thirty-third  Wisconsin  Regi 
ment,  which  relieved  the  Thirteenth.  On  the  arrival  of  the 
regiment  at  Savannah  Colonel  Carman  was  sent  to  Nash 
ville  on  special  service,  and  during  the  whole  of  the  Caro 
lina  campaign,  Colonel  Harris  commanded  it,  participat 
ing  in  the  battles  of  Averysboro  and  Bentonville.  In  the 
latter  battle  the  Thirteenth  Regiment  particularly  dis 
tinguished  itself  under  his  command,  by  repulsing  the 
enemy,  who  were  advancing  in  large  numbers,  and  won  the 
highest  encomiums  of  praise  from  its  superiorTofficers.  At 
Goldsboro,  N.  C.,  severe  illness  caused  him  to  relinquish  the 
command  to  Major  John  H.  Arey,  and  he  went  to  hospital 
at  Newburn  for  medical  treatment.  He  rejoined  the  regi 
ment  at  Washington  and  participated  in  the  grand  review, 
and  was  mustered  out  with  it  on  June  8,  1865.  On  July 
17,  1864,  he  was  promoted  major  and  November  i,  1864, 
lieutenant-colonel  of  the  regiment.  For  gallant  and  meri 
torious  services  during  the  campaign  in  Georgia  and  the 
Carolinas  he  was  brevetted  colonel,  and  subsequently 


388  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

brigadier-general  of  United  States   Volunteers  for  gallant 
services  a*  Bentonville. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  General  Harris  was  married  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  J.  Torrey  at  Honesdale,  Pa.  He  never  held 
political  office  though  frequently  solicited  to  be  a  candi 
date  for  numerous  important  and  lucrative  positions.  In 
the  Summer  of  1865  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law,  and  in 
the  Spring  of  1866  became  the  treasurer  and  assistant 
secretary  of  the  American  Insurance  Company  of  Newark. 
Being  elected  a  director,  he  continued  to  perform  the 
duties  of  secretary  and  treasurer  until  the  death  of  Presi 
dent  Gould  in  January,  1883,  when  he  was  unanimously 
elected  to  fill  the  position  of  president  of  that  old  and 
prominent  company. 

JOHN  JAMES  HENRY  LOVE,  M.  D. 

Surgeon  J.  J.  H.  Love,  of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment  New 
Jersey  Volunteers,  was  born  on  April  3,  1833,  in  Harmony 
township,  Warren  county,  New  Jersey.  His  father  was  the 
Rev.  Robert  Love,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  and  he  was 
the  -great  grandson  of  Lieutenant  Thomas  Love,  aide-de 
camp  to  General  Samuel  Cochrane  of  the  Continental 
Army  during  the  Revolutionary  War.  Doctor  Love  was 
educated  at  Lafayette  College,  Easton,  Pa.,  and  in  the 
medical  department  of  the  University,  city  of  New  York, 
graduating  from  the  former  in  1851  and  from  the  latter  in 
I^>55-  When  the  Thirteenth  Regiment  was  being  recruited 
he  was  appointed  surgeon  on  July  19,  1862.  He  had  seen 
some  service,  however,  previous  to  this.  After  the  battle  of 
Williamsburg  and  the  beginning  of  the  siege  of  Yorktown, 
May  5,  1862,  he  was  sent  out  as  a  volunteer  surgeon  by 
Governor  Olden  to  look  after  and  care  for  the  wounded 
of  New  Jersey  regiments.  On  the  23d  of  March,  1863, 
Surgeon  Love  was  assigned  to  duty  as  surgeon-in-chief 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  389 

Third  Brigade,  First  Division,  Twelfth  Army  Corps,  and 
served  in  that  capacity  during  the  battle  of  Gettysburg, 
doing  most  efficient  service  in  the  care  of  the  wounded. 
On  the  first  of  August,  1863,  when  the  Twelfth  Corps  had 
settled  down  for  a  rest  at  Kelly's  Ford,  Va.,  after  the 
arduous  campaign  then  just  ended,  he  was  appointed 
surgeon-in-chief  First  Division,  Twelfth  Corps,  and  became 
a  member  of  General  A.  S.  Williams'  staff.  In  this 
capacity  he  served  until  the  following  January,  after 
accompanying  the  corps  to  the  wrest,  when  on  the  28th  of 
that  month,  1864,  he  resigned  his  commission  and  was 
honorably  discharged  from  the  service.  On  his  return 
home  he  at  once  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profes 
sion,  in  which  he  holds  a  high  place. 

CAPTAIN  AMBROSE  M.  MATTHEWS. 

Captain  Ambrose  M.  Matthews,  of  Orange,  N.  J.,  was 
engaged  in  business  as  a  hat  manufacturer  when  the  war 
broke  out,  and  leaving  his  business  he  enlisted  on  May  10, 
1861,  as  a  private  in  Company  G,  Second  Regiment,  New 
Jersey  Volunteers.  Twice  he  was  offered  a  first  lieuten 
ancy  in  the  Excelsior  Brigade,  but  declined,  and  on  the 
fifth  of  August,  1862,  was  discharged  by  Special  Order 
No.  223,  C.  S.  Headquarters  Army  of  the  Potomac,  at 
Harrison's  Landing,  Va.,  at  the  request  of  the  Governor 
of  the  State,  to  assist  in  raising  a  new  regiment.  On 
August  22,  1862.  he  was  commissioned  second  lieutenant 
of  Company  E,  Thirteenth  Regiment,  New  Jersey  Volun 
teers,  and  was  mustered  with  it  into  the  United  States 
service  three  days  later.  At  the  battle  of  Antietam  he 
was  wounded,  and  his  gallant  services  there  were  recog 
nized  in  his  promotion  as  first  lieutenant  of  Company  K. 
On  November  i,'i862,  he  was  promoted  Captain  of  Com 
pany  I.  At  Chancellorsville,  where  the  Thirteenth  Regi- 


390  NE  W  JERSE  Y  TROOPS 

ment  did  splendid  and  praiseworthy  service,  Captain 
Matthews  was  again  wounded,  and  he  received  honorable 
mention  in  a  regimental  order,  issued  a  few  days  after 
the  return  to  their  old  camp,  by  Captain  Beardsley,  who 
was  then  in  command.  At  Gettysburg  his  Company  I, 
with  that  of  Captain  Ryerson's  Company  C,  comprised 
the  left  flank  of  the  regiment,  they  being  formed  almost 
perpendicular  to  the  main  line,  creating  an  angle.  This 
brought  these  two  companies,  then  commanded  by  Cap 
tain  Matthews  (Captain  Ryerson  acting  as  major  of  the 
regiment)  directly  in  front  of  the  enemy,  and  when  the 
charge  by  part  of  Steuart's  rebel  brigade  was  made  upon 
this  position,  they  aided  in  repulsing  it.  Captain  Ryerson 
was  wounded,  and  Captain  Matthews  had  a  narrow  escape 
from  death,  a  ball  penetrating  his  hat  just  above  the 
scalp  line.  At  Resaca,  Ga.,  he  was  again  wounded. 
Captain  Matthews  accompanied  his  regiment  through  all 
its  campaigns,  the  siege  of  Atlanta,  the  March  to  the  Sea, 
the  Carolina  campaign,  and  in  every  emergency  was 
noted  for  his  courage  and  coolness.  He  was  a  strict  disci 
plinarian  and  held  his  men  to  a  rigid  performance  of  duty, 
and  always  looked  carefully  after  their  interests.  No  man 
of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment  to-day  is  held  in  higher 
esteem  by  his  comrades  than  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

COLONEL  JAMES  N.  DUFFY. 

Colonel  James  N.  Duffy,  the  President  of  the  Gettys 
burg  Battle-Field  Commission  of  New  Jersey,  served 
during  the  battle  on  the  staff  of  General  H.  G.  Wright, 
commanding  First  Division,  Sixth  Army  Corps,  his  rank 
being  that  of  lieutenant-colonel  and  his  duties  those  of 
acting  assistant  inspector-general.  Colonel  Duffy  entered 
the  service  as  captain  of  Company  C,  Second  Regiment, 
New  Jersey  Volunteers,  in  May  27,  1861.  On  July  i,  1861, 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  391 

he  was  promoted  major,  and  on  September  14,  1862,  was 
commissioned  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Third  New  Jersey 
Regiment.  September  29,  1863,  after  the  battle  of  Gettys 
burg,  he  was  commissioned  colonel  of  the  Fourth  Regi 
ment  New  Jersey  Volunteers,  but  as  the  organization  had 
become  reduced  below  the  minimum  he  could  not  be 
mustered.  He  served  with  the  Third  Regiment  until  the 
close  of  the  war  and  was  mustered  out  with  it  as  lieu 
tenant-colonel  June  23,  1864.  Colonel  Duffy  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  manufacturing  interests 
of  Newark  and  for  several  years  maintained  a  -  large 
factory  for  the  manufacture  of  patent  and  enameled 
leather  in  that  city.  Subsequently  he  started  a  factory  in 
Eldred,  Pennsylvania.  His  appointment  as  a  member  of 
the  State  Commission  for  the  erection  of  monuments  at 
Gettysburg  was  received  with  great  favor  by  all  the  sur 
vivors  of  the  commands  interested. 

BRIGADIER-GENERAL  WILLIAM    H.    PENROSE. 

William  H.  Penrose  was  born  at  Madison  Barracks,  N. 
Y.,  March  10,  1832,  and  his  early  life  was  spent  in  garri 
son,  following  his  father,  who  was  an  officer  in  the 
Regular  Army,  to  the  various  posts  at  which  he  was  sta 
tioned.  The  outbreak  of  the  Mexican  war  separated  the 
father  from  his  family,  the  latter  finding  a  comfortable 
home  with  the  Honorable  Charles  B.  Penrose,  of  Carlisle, 
Pa.,  and  William  was  then  sent  to  Dickinson  College. 
While  here  the  death  of  his  father  occurred,  and  as  the 
family  were  not  in  affluent  circumstances,  it  became 
necessary  for  the  young  lad  to  seek  employment,  which 
he  found  in  the  machine  shops  at  Reading,  Pa.  The  old 
military  instinct,  imbibed  when  a  mere  boy,  kept  con 
tinually  asserting  itself  within  him,  and  the  breaking  out 
of  the  rebellion  gave  him  the  opportunity  he  sought  to 


392  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

enter  the  service.  Receiving  an  appointment  in  the 
Regular  Army — the  commission  dating  April  13,  1861— he 
wa3  assigned,  as  second  lieutenant,  to  the  Third  Infantry, 
but  as  he  was  then  out  West  and  his  company  in  Texas 
he  was  ordered  to  report  to  the  commanding  officer  of  the 
Fourth  Artillery,  then  stationed  at  Fort  Randall,  Dakota. 
From  here  he  went  to  New  York  to  join  his  company  of  the 
Third  Infantry  which  had  arrived  from  Texas,  and  he 
there  ascertained  that  it  had  been  surrendered  by  General 
Twiggs  to  the  State  authorities,  and  the  men  paroled. 
Five  of  the  companies  of  the  regiment  were  at  Wash 
ington,  and  after  considerable  delay  Lieutenant  Pen- 
rose  secured  his  orders  and  transportation  to  go  to  the 
Capital  where  he  arrived  two  days  before  the  first  battle  of 
Bull  Run,  and  found  his  regiment  encamped  at  Arlington, 
the  commanding  officer  being  Major  (afterward  Major- 
General)  George  Sykes.  The  regulars  were  soon  after 
brought  to  Washington  and  put  on  provost  duty,  and 
Lieutenant  Penrose  was  selected  for  duty  in  the  Secret 
Service.  Just  after  the  battle  of  Ball's  Bluff  he  was 
called  to  Philadelphia  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Weister  of 
the  First  California  Regiment  (Colonel  Baker's),  after 
ward  known  as  the  Seventy-first  Pennsylvania,  and  was 
tendered  the  colonelcy  of  the  regiment.  This-  was  a  great 
surprise  to  the  young  officer,  but  learning  that  he  had 
been  recommended  by  some  of  the  oldest  and  best  officers 
in  the  army,  he  consented  to  accept  it.  Days  passed  and 
weeks  flew  by  until  at  last  one  Sunday,  while  attending 
church,  a  telegram  was  brought  to  him  asking  why  he  did 
not  come  and  take  command.  The  telegram  further  stated 
that  Colonel  Weister  had  his  commission  and  the  order 
from  army  headquarters  to  proceed  to  the  regiment.  This 
was  a  matter  of  extraordinary  importance  to  Penrose,  and 
going  to  the  adjutant-general  with  the  telegram,  that 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  393 


officer,  much  confused,  said  he  would  sec  about  it.  At 
midnight  that  same  night  marching  orders  were  received, 
and  nothing  more  was  heard  of  the  order  until  the  army 
had  reached  Harrison's  Landing,  when  an  investigation 
revealed  the  fact  that  the  order  had  been  issued  but  Gen 
eral  Sykes  pigeon-holed  it,  as  he  was  opposed  to  any 
officer  of  his  command  leaving  it.  During  the  Peninsula 
campaign  the  colonelcy  of  three  other  regiments  were 
offered  him,  but  the  same  power  intervened  to  prevent  his 
taking  either  of  them.  Sometime  in  January,  1863,  Gen 
eral  Torbert,  then  commanding  the  First  New  Jersey 
Brigade,  sent  for  Penrose,  and  asked  him  if  he  would  take 
a  regiment.  He  explained  the  difficulty  of  getting  away 
from  Sykes,  but  on  Torbert's  assurance  that  he  would  take 
care  of  that  part  of  it,  Penrose  accepted.  Some  time  went 
by  and  the  matter  had  about  passed  from  his  mind  when 
a  note  from  General  Torbert  informed  him  that  he  had 
his  commission  as  colonel  of  the  Fifteenth  Regiment  New 
Jersey  Volunteers,  and  the  order  for  him  to  take  command 
would  be  issued  at  once.  Penrose  received  his  order  and 
was  in  the  performance  of  his  new  duties  before  Sykes 
knew  anything  about  it.  From  this  time  on  the  record  of 
Colonel  Penrose  is  that  of  the  Fifteenth  Regiment.  Its 
forced  march  from  Manchester  to  Gettysburg  with  the 
Sixth  Corps,  is  recorded  elsewhere  in  the  pages  of  this 
book.  Colonel  Penrose's  own  recollections  of  what  trans 
pired  when  the  column  reached  Rock  Creek,  are  thus 
described  by  himself.  As  no  record  of  the  exploit  appears 
in  the  history  of  the  Fifteenth  Regiment,  it  is  given  in 
full  here.  General  Penrose  says  : 

"  We  had  arrived  none  too  soon.  Our  troops  had  been  repulsed  at 
almost  'every  point,  the  fate  of  the  army  trembled  in  the  balance. 
Canteens  had  hardly  been  filled  when  the  order  came  to  cross.  The 
tfluffs  on  the  opposite  side  were  steep,  the  water  deep,  but  nothing 


394  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

could  stop  those  brave  men.  In  we  went,  and  up  the  steep  ascent  on 
the  other  side.  I  was  leading  the  brigade  with  the  gallant  Fifteenth. 
Hardly  had  I  reached  the  level  ground  beyond  when  Captain  Whittier, 
personal  aid-de-camp  to  General  Sedgwick,  rode  up  in  great  haste  and 
saying  to  me,  '  Penrose,  for  God's  sake  get  to  the  front  as  quick  as  you 
can;  cut  loose  and  follow  me,  everything  is  gone  to  the  devil  ! '  I  put 
the  men  on  a  dog  trot.  Meeting  a  column  crossing  our  track  I  gave  the 
order  to  close  up  and  cut  through  it,  which  was  promptly  obeyed.  I  fol 
lowed  on  and  came  into  line  just  in  rear  of  the  Third  Regulars,  who 
were  on  the  right  of  the  Fifth  Corps — our  lines  had  been  driven  to  the 
crest  of  the  hill.  The  situation  was  everything  but  encouraging.  Regu 
lar  formation  of  the  troops  engaged  there  was  none.  Every  man 
appeared  to  be  fighting  on  his  own  hook,  but  with  a  determination  not  to 
yield  one  inch  further.  An  incident  occurred  just  at  this  time,  which 
in  my  opinion  had  great  weight  in  the  result  of  that  day's  fight.  As  I 
went  into  line  a  man  approached  me  having  as  prisoner  a  Confederate 
colonel  mounted.  The  man  asked  me  where  headquarters  were.  I 
pointed  out  the  corps  flag  in  a  field  to  the  rear.  The  colonel  then 
addressed  me  as  follows:  '  For  God's  sake,  how  big  is  this Catho 
lic  corps?'  (having  reference  to  our  corps  badge,  a  Greek  cross.)  I 
answered  'Why?/  He  replied,  '  You  were  thirty  miles  from  here  last 
night.  We  saw  your  colors  (corps)  coming  over  the  hill,  and  the  orders 
for  our  reinforcements  to  be  pushed  in  were  countermanded.'  It  will 
thus 'be  seen  that  our  timely  arrival  checked  a  movement  that,  had  it 
been  made,  would  have  given  them  the  crest  of  the  hill,  and  cut  our 
army  in  two.  As  soon  as  my  line  was  formed  it  was  moved  forward. 
Going  over  the  weary  and  worn  out  troops  in  our  front,  down  the  hill 
we  went  at  a  thundering  pace,  driving  every  thing  before  us,  across 
the  swamp  at  its  foot,  through  the  woods,  never  stopping  until  we 
reached  a  house  just  on  the  edge  of  the  wheat-field,  where  the  enemy 
made  a  decided  stand.  Here  also  stood  an  entire  battery,  every  horse 
killed.  The  enemy  had  captured  it  in  the  afternoon,  but  had  had  no 
time  to  take  it  from  the  field.  Here  I  halted,  as  night  was  coming 
on,  ]and  I  could  see  none  of  our  troops  on  my  right  or  left.  Cov 
ering  these  guns  with  our  rifles,  I  deployed  two  companies  to  my 
right  before  I  made  a  connection  with  our  troops,  finding  '  them  to 
be  part  of  General  Wheaton's  command  which  had  gone  in  on  my 
right.  Six  companies  were  deployed  to  my  left  before  finding  any 
one  to  connect  with  ;  it  was  then,  if  I  remember  right,  with  the 
Twelfth  Regulars.  Here  we  lay  all  night,  but  at  the  first  peep  of  day 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG   CAMPAIGN.  395 

I  advanced  and  took  the  house  and  secured  the  battery.  In  this  posi 
tion  we  remained  until  about  12  m.  of  the  third  when  I  was  relieved 
by  the  Third  Regulars,  and  after  considerable  search  found  and  joined 
my  brigade  about  3  p.  m.  In  the  last  day's  fight  the  brigade  was  not 
called  into  action,  and  the  Fifteenth  was  the  only  regiment  of  the 
brigade  that  took  part  in  the  fighting  on  that  memorable  field. 
The  advanced  position  gained  on  the  night  of  the  second  by  the 
Fifteenth  was  the  same  that  had  been  occupied  by  the  Third  Corps, 
and  from  which  they  had  been  driven,  speaks  louder  than  words  for 
their  gallantry.  Their  steadiness  under  most  trying  circumstances, 
speaks  volumes  for  the  discipline  for  which  the  regiment  was  noted, 
and  thus  ended  our  share,  of  no  insignificant  value,  in  the  turning  and 
decisive  battle  of  the  war." 

On  the  tenth  day  of  May,  1864,  Colonel  Penrose  was 
assigned  to  the  command  of  the  First  Brigade  by  order 
of  General  Grant,  approved  by  the  President.  This  was 
a  mark  of  distinction  seldom  conferred  upon  a  junior 
officer,  and  is  probably  the  only  instance  of  the  kind  in 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  except  in  the  case  of  general 
officers  to  command  the  army.  On  the  nineteenth  of 
October,  1864,  Colonel  Penrose  was  brevetted  brigadier- 
general  of  United  States  Volunteers.  He  is  now  major  of 
the  Twelfth  Infantry  United  States  Army,  and  is  stationed 
at  Fort  Sully,  Dakota  Territory. 

MAJOR   A.  JUDSON    CLARK. 

A.  Judson  Clark,  commander  of  Battery  "  B,"  First  New 
Jersey  Artillery,  was  born  in  Fayetteville,  N.  Y.,  October, 
1838,  and  became  a  citizen  of  Newark  in  1860,  where  he 
began  the  study  of  medicine.  Enlisted  April,  1861,  for 
three  months  under  the  first  call  for  seventy-five  thousand 
men  and  was  made  sergeant  of  Company  F,  First  Regi 
ment  New  Jersey  Volunteers.  At  the  expiration  of  his 
term  of  service  assisted  in  organizing  and  putting  into  the 
field  the  second  battery  of  light  artillery  (Battery  "  B  " 


396  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


First  New  Jersey),  then  known  as  Beam's  battery,  being 
commissioned  as  first  lieutenant.  After  the  death  of 
Captain  John  E.  Beam  was  promoted  captain  and  the 
battery  was  afterward  known  as  Clark's  battery.  Through 
out  the  whole  period  of  the  war  the  battery  was  promi 
nently  engaged  in  every  important  battle  except  that  of 
Antietam  and  won  a  splendid  reputation  for  its  fighting 
and  staying  qualities.  At  Chancellorsville  Captain  Clark 
was  placed  in  command  of  the  First  Division  Artillery, 
Third  Army  Corps.  When  the  attack  on  the  Eleventh 
Corps  was  made  by  Jackson,  Clark's  battery  was  at  Hazel 
Grove  firing  on  the  Furnace  road.  The  enemy  came 
through  to  the  right  of  Sickles'  corps,  and  in  close  pursuit 
of  Howard's  fleeing  troops.  The  battery  was  immediately 
turned  around,  and  began  firing  to  the  rear  with  canister 
which  enabled  Pleasonton  to  forn%  his  line.  At  Gettysburg 
Captain  Clark  was  with  his  battery  during  all  of  the 
terrific  firing  of  the  second  of  July,  and  the  gallant  conduct 
of  the  battery  on  that  occasion  is  well  attested  by  the 
frequent  mention,  in  the  official  reports,  of  its  splendid 
services.  At  the  close  of  the  day's  engagement  Colonel 
Randolph,  chief  of  artillery  of  the  Third  Corps,  was 
wounded  and  Captain  Clark  was  appointed  to  that  office 
which  he  held  until  just  before  the  fight  at  Mine  Run  when 
Randolph  returned  to  duty.  At  the  fight  at  Ream's 
Station  in  front  of  Petersburg  Captain  Clark  was  slightly 
wounded  in  the  forehead  by  a  minie  ball.  When  the  terms 
of  service  of  the  three  year  members  of  the  battery  who 
had  not  reenlisted  expired,  Captain  Clark  accompanied 
them  to  Trenton  where  they  were  mustered  out,  and 
immediately  afterward  returned  to  the  battery  remaining 
with  it  until  the  close  of  the  war.  At  the  time  of  the 
surrender  the  battery  was  in  position  in  the  line  of  the 
Second  Corps,  to  which  it  then  belonged.  Captain  Clark 


IN   THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN. 


397 


was  specially  recommended  to  the  President  for  promotion 
by  General  Sickles  for  bravery  and  gallantry  at  Chancel- 
lorsville  and  Gettysburg,  and  in  1864,  General  Hunt,  chief 
of  artillery  Army  of  the  Potomac,  General  Birney,  General 
Mott  and  others  sent  strong  letters  to  the  State  authorities 
urging  that  the  several  batteries  of  the  State  be  given  a 
field  officer  and  recommending  Captain  Clark  for  the 
place,  and  in  1865,  General  Mott  sent  the  following 
additional  appeal  to  the  Governor,  but  for  some  reason  or 
other  was  not  complied  with.  The  following  is  General 
Mott's  letter  : 

HEADQUARTERS  THIRD   DIVISION,  SECOND  ARMY  CORPS,      j_ 
May  21,  1865.  \ 

Governor  : 

As  New  Jersey  has  five  batteries  in  the  service,  and  no  field 
officer — four  being  entitled  to  a  major — allow  me  to  call  your  attention 
to  Captain  A.  Judson  Clark,  Battery  "  B,"  as  an  officer  justly  entitled 
to  the  position.  Captain  Clark  has  served  since  1861,  is  the  senior 
artillery  officer  from  the  State,  and  has  on  all  occasions  conducted 
himself  in  an  efficient  and  gallant  manner.  He  is  about  leaving  the 
service,  as  his  battery  is  to  be  mustered  out,  and  a  recognition  of  his 
services  by  ths  State  will  be  a  just  reward  for  gallant  and  meritorious 
conduct  in  the  field. 

I  tak3  great  pleasure  in  making  this  recommendation  as  the  captain 
has  served  under,  with  or  near  my  command  in  almost  all  of  the  actions 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

G.   MOTT,  Brevet   Major-General. 
His  Excellency  Joel  Parker,  Governor,  etc. 

Captain  Clark  was  brevetted  major  of  United  States 
Volunteers  for  gallant  and  meritorious  services  in  front  of 
Petersburg,  by  Congress,  to  date  from  April  2,  1865.  Since 
the  war  Major  Clark's  signal  abilities  have  been  recognized 
by  his  own  people  who  have  repeatedly  appointed  him  to 
responsible  positions,  first  as  chief  of  police  of  the  city  of 
Newark,  then  as  secretary  of  the  Board  of  Assessments 


398  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

and  Revision  of  Taxes,  and  as  Receiver  of  Taxes.  He  is 
also  a  prominent  officer  in  the  National  Guard  of  the 
State. 

MAJOR  WILLIAM  W.  MORRIS. 

Major  William  Wallace  Morris  was  born  in  the  city  of 
New  York  in  1830,  and  in  1832  his  parents  took  up  their 
residence  in  the  city  of  Newark.  His  ancestors  on  his 
mother's  side  were  Huguenots,  who  settled  in  Canada  in 
the  sixteenth  century,  after  the  massacre  of  Paris,  France. 
His  paternal  ancestry  were  of  the  Morrises  who  immigrated 
from  Wales,  and  settled  in  Monmouth  county,  New  Jersey, 
in  1669.  His  great  grandfathers  on  both  sides  were 
soldiers  during  the  Revolutionary  War  from  1776  to  1783, 
and  in  the  war  of  1812  and  1814  both  fought  against  the 
British.  Many  of  the  male  members  of  the  family  had 
fought  in  every  war  on  this  continent  except  in  the  war 
with  Mexico.  Major  Morris  was  educated  in  private 
schools,  and  learned  the  coach,  harness  and  saddlery  busi 
ness  and  was  superintendent  of  a  large  factory  at  the  time 
of  his  enlistment.  When  a  stripling,  he  joined  the  old 
Lafayette  Guards  as  a  private,  and  subsequently  became 
Ensign,  and  afterward  joined  the  City  Battalion  under 
Major  Carter.  In  1861  Major  Morris  raised  a  company 
and  was  about  to  offer  their  services  to  the  government 
when  a  severe. family  affliction  compelled  him  to  defer  his 
departure  to  the  field.  In  August,  1862,  under  the  call  for 
ten  thousand  men  he  recruited  Company  A,  Twenty-sixth 
Regiment  New  Jersey  Volunteers,  having  enlisted  as  a 
private  soldier,  and  was  so  mustered  in  September  3d. 
Subsequently  he  was  elected  captain  of  the  company,  and 
was  mustered  in  the  United  States  service  September  i8th. 
He  left  with  his  regiment  for  the  front  from  Camp 
Frelinghuysen  September  26,  1862,  and  was  promoted 


7;V  777£  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN.  399 


major  November  i9th  following,  and  mustered  in  Decem 
ber  6,  1862.  He  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg, 
under  General  Burnside  December  i3th  and  i4th,  acting 
as  colonel  of  the  regiment  a  considerable  part  of  the  time, 
having  but  one  staff  officer  to  assist  him — Sergeant-Major 
Amos  J.  Cummings,  the  regiment  numbering  nine  hun 
dred  and  seventy-five  men  present.  Major  Morris  was  one 
of  the  storming  column  at  Fredericksburg  Heights,  and 
participated  in  the  battle  of  Salem  Church  May  3d  and 
the  battle  of  Salem  Heights  or  Banks'  Ford  May  4,  1863. 
At  the  storming  of  the  rifle  pits  at  "  Franklin's  Crossing," 
three  miles  below  Fredericksburg,  June  5,  1863,  he  was 
acting  as  lieutenant-colonel. 

During  the  great  draft  riot  in  New  York  and  Newark  in 
July,  1863,  when  the  Newark  "  Mercury  "  newspaper  office 
owned  by  ex-Sheriff  E.  N.  Miller,  and  his  residence  was 
attacked  by  a  mob — Sheriff  Miller  being  at  that  time  pro 
vost  marshal  of  the  district — Major  Morris  offered  his  ser 
vices  which  were  gladly  accepted,  and  Sheriff  Miller  com 
missioned  him  to  organize  a  body  of  veterans,  secure  arms 
and  make  arrangements  with  the  military  district  com 
mander,  General  Wool,  to  put  down  the  enemies  of  peace 
and  good  order.  Major  Morris  organized  some  four  hun 
dred  men,  and  many  of  his  brother  officers  rallied  around 
him,  among  whom  were  Captains  Fordham,  P.  F.  Rogers, 
John  Hunkele,  John  Mclntee,  Mark  Sears,  Lieutenant 
Rochus  Heinisch,  and  others.  Before  the  arrangements 
with  General  Wool  were  fully  completed  the  riot  in  New 
York  was  put  down  and  that  in  Newark  speedily  ended. 

LIEUTENANT  ROCHUS  HEINISCH. 

Lieutenant  Rochus  Heinisch  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Newark,  N.  J.,  December,  1835.  He  was  educated  in 
private  schools,  and  was  brought  up  in  manufacturing 


400  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 


and  business  pursuits,  following  the  cutlery  business  in 
his  father's  factory.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  joined 
the  Putnam  Horse  Guards,  a  famous  battalion  of  mounted 
men,  commanded  by  Major  Heinisch,  the  father  of  Rochus. 
Subsequently  he  joined  Company  B,  Newark  City 
Battalion,  and  during  the  war  enlisted  as  a  private  soldier 
in  Company  A,  Twenty-sixth  New  Jersey  Volunteers.  He 
was  afterward  elected  second  lieutenant  and  was  pro 
moted  first  lieutenant  in  the  field.  He  participated  in  the 
several  engagements  of  his  regiment,  and  was  a  faithful 
and  a  brave  soldier.  At  the  advance  of  the  Twenty-sixth 
across  the  Rappahannock  on  June  5th.  Lieutenant 
Heinisch  was  one  of  the  very  first  to  enter  the  rebel  earth 
works.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service  he 
reentered  business  life,  and  served  two  terms  in  the 
House  of  Assembly  of  the  New  Jersey  Legislature. 

COLONEL  HUGH  H.  JANEWAY. 

Hugh  H.  Janeway  was  born  in  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.  He 
went  into  the  service  as  first  lieutenant  of  Company  L, 
First  New  Jersey  Cavalry,  and  soon  became  noted  for  his 
daring  as  well  as  fer  his  other  strong  soldierly  qualities. 
He  was  devoid  of  fear,  and  many  are  the  incidents  related 
of  his  personal  encounters  with  the  enemy,  and  his  adven 
tures.  He  had  been  in  the  service  but  a  short  time  when 
he  went  on  a  scouting  expedition  and  meeting  with  a 
body  of  the  enemy  he  boldly  charged  into  them.  Janeway 
himself  was  wounded  in  seven  different  places,  and  was 
left  for  dead,  but  his  wounds,  though  severe,  were  none 
of  them  fatal,  and  his  reappearance  among  his  men  for 
duty  a  short  time  after  was  hailed  with  great 'joy.  Febru 
ary  19,  1862,  Janeway  was  promoted  captain;  on  January  27, 
1863,  major  ;  July  6,  1864,  lieutenant-colonel,  and  on  Octo 
ber  n,  1864,  colonel  of  the  First  Cavalry.  During  some 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG  CAMPAIGN,  401 

of  the  encounters  with  the  enemy  at  Trevillian's  Station 
Colonel  Janeway  was  wounded,  but  he  soon  after  returned 
and  took  command  of  his  regiment.  In  the  Weldon  Rail 
road  expedition  in  December,  1864,  the  First  New  Jersey 
bore  a  conspicuous  part.  Nearing  Hicksford,  where  the 
road  to  Gaston  and  Raleigh  branches  off  from  the  Weldon 
line,  a  force  of  the  enemy  was  found  in  strong  works, 
defending  the  crossing  of  the  Meherin  river.  The  works 
were  covered  by  a  thick  wood  extending  for  a  mile  along 
the  road  ;  and  along  the  skirts  of  a  wood  a  body  of  cav 
alry  was  posted.  Colonel  Janeway  sent  forward  Captain 
Brooks  to  charge  these  men  and  clear  the  way.  Pyne,  in 
his  description  of  this  action,  says  : 

"  Of  course  no  Southern  cavalry  then  in  the  field  could  stand  against 
a  charge  in  which  Robbins,  Brooks  and  Craig  were  all  engaged. 
Along  a  narrow  road,  breaking  off  here  and  there  to  pursue  a  fugitive 
visible  through  the  trees,  the  Fifth  Squadron  swept  forward  at  the  run; 
until  the  road  took  a  sudden  twist,  and  lost  itself  in  an  abbatis  of  felled 
trees,  perfectly  impassable  for  horses.  From  the  rifle-pits  along  the 
front  of  the  rebel  works  a  heavy  fire  was  poured  into  the  squadron  as 
soon  as  it  appeared.  Robbins  received  a  bullet  through  the  hat,  which 
grazed  his  head;  Craig  and  Johnson  had  their  horses  shot  and  some 
of  the  men  were  unhorsed  in  like  manner;  but  Brooks,  covering  his 
men  as  well  as  possible,  held  his  position  until  the  rest  of  the  brigade 
came  up.  Then  Sargent,  with  the  First  Massachusetts,  was  ordered 
to  make  a  charge.  Nothing  could  be  more  gallantly  attempted;  but 
it  was  wild  to  hope  for  any  success  so  long  as  the  enemy  were  not 
frightened  from  their  guns.  Sargent  fell  dead  from  his  horse  before 
they  took  the  gallop;  and  the  regiment  pulled  up  in  confusion,  with  the 
loss  of  several  horses  and  some  men.  Then  Janeway  and  the  rest  of 
the  New  Jersey  took  the  field.  Janeway  was  in  his  element  at  once. 
There  never  was  a  quiet-mannered  man  who  took  more  delight  in  fight 
ing,  whether  mounted  or  on  foot;  and  no  one  ever  did  his  work  more 
thoroughly  and  with  more  perfect  management  of  the  troops  under  his 
command.  As  a  consequence  the  regiment  was  always  ready  to  do 
what  he  directed  with  a  confidence  that  made  them  irresistible.  Dis 
mounting  his  whole  force  under  cover  of  the  woods,  he  charged  them 
26 


402  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

straight  into  the  rifle-pits,  over  ditches  and  fallen  trees,  under  a  heavy 
fire  of  musketry  and  artillery  from  the  woods  behind.  Nothing  would 
have  been  more  after  Janeway's  heart  than  a  charge  onward  into  the 
rebel  forts,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  beyond." 

At  Dinwiddie  Court  House  Janeway  was  in  the  very 
thickest  of  the  fighting  and  Davies,  who  commanded  the 
brigade,  being  wounded,  Janeway  succeeded  him  only  to 
be  wounded  in  turn.  Soon  recovering  Janeway  was  again 
with  his  regiment,  and  at  Five  Forks  distinguished  him 
self  by  his  bravery.  At  Amelia  Springs,  the  regiment 
again  encountered  the  enemy,  and  Colonel  Janeway  imme 
diately  ordered  a  charge,  in  leading  which  he  was  shot 
through  the  head,  and  died  almost  instantly.  This 
was  April  5,  1865,  but  four  days  before  the  surrender  of 
Lee  at  Appomattox.  Colonel  Janeway  had  endeared 
himself  to  every  man  in  his  command,  and  no  braver 
soldier,  truer  patriot,  or  courteous  gentleman  ever  per 
ished  on  the  field  of  battle  than  he. 

COLONEL  PERCY  WYNDHAM. 

Sir  Percy  Wyndham,  colonel  of  the  First  New  Jersey 
Cavalry  (Sixteenth  Regiment  New  Jersey  Volunteers),  was 
a  member  of  an  ennobled  English  family,  son  of  Captain 
Charles  Wyndham,  of  the  Fifth  Light  Cavalry  of  the 
English  army,  and  born  on  board  the  ship  "Arab"  in  "  the 
Downs,"  September  22,  1833.  When  but  fifteen  years  of 
age  he  entered  the  "  Students'  Corps  "  in  Paris,  and  took 
part  in  the  French  revolution  of  1848.  In  July  of  that 
year  he  was  transferred,  at  his  own  request,  to  the  navy, 
and  given  the  rank  of  ensign  of  marines.  He  resigned  his 
commission  in  the  French  navy,  April  7,  1850,  and  in  the 
following  year  entered  the  artillery  branch  of  the  English 
army.  Resigning  in  October,  1852,  he  received  the  com 
mission  of  a  second  lieutenant  in  the  Eighth  Austrian 


IN  THE  GETT  YSB  UR G  CA  MPA IGN.  403 

Lancers  in  December  following.     He   served   a   period  of 
two  years,  being  promoted   first  lieutenant  on   April    15 
1854,  and  squadron  commander  shortly  afterward. 

On  May  i,  1860,  he  resigned  from  the  Austrian  service 
to  enter  the  Italian,  and  was  commissioned  a  captain  on 
the  twentieth.  He  greatly  distinguished  himself  by  his 
dashing  gallantry  in  the  battles  of  Palermo,  Nuloggo, 
Rager  and  Capua.  On  July  2oth  he  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  major  and  placed  in  command  of  his  regiment, 
and  on  October  i,  to  that  of  lieutenant-colonel  on  the  field 
before  Capua  and  given  command  of  a  brigade  by  General 
Garibaldi  in  person.  He  was  knighted  on  the  field  by 
King  Victor  Emanuel  and  appointed  a  chevalier  of  the 
Military  Order  of  Savoy.  Colonel  Wyndham  remained  in 
command  of  his  brigade  till  October  8,  1861,  when  he 
obtained  a  leave  of  absence  for  twelve  months  and  came 
to  the  United  States  to  offer  his  services  to  the  Federal 
Government. 

Early  in  the  month  of  February,  1862,  upon  the  special 
recommendation  of  General  McClellan  and  by  the  appoint 
ment  of  the  Governor,  he  became  Colonel  of  the  First 
New  Jersey  Cavalry.  He  assumed  command  of  the  regi 
ment  on  the  9th,  and  called  upon  officers  and  men  alike  to 
aid  him  in  securing  the  most  efficient  condition  by  a  strict 
obedience  to  orders  and  thorough  military  discipline. 
The  joint  influence  of  Colonel  Wyndham  and  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Karge  was  felt  almost  immediately,  and  by  the 
middle  of  May  the  regiment  was  performing  meritorious 
military  service.  On  the  afternoon  of  June  6,  the  regi 
ment  drove  the  enemy  through  the  village  of  Harrison- 
burgh,  Va.,  and  fell  into  an  ambuscade  in  the  woods,  to 
the  southeast  of  the  town,  in  which  Colonel  Wyndham  was 
captured  and  considerable  loss  sustained  ;  the  colonel  soon 
afterward  escaped.  October  30,  a  skirmish  took  place 


404  NE  W  fERSK  Y  TROOPS 

between  a  detachment  of  cavalry  under  command  of 
Colonel  Wyndham  and  a  force  of  rebels  stationed  at 
Thoroughfare  Gap,  resulting  in  the  retirement  of  the  latter 
to  the  almost  impassable  hills  in  the  vicinity ;  and  on 
February  2,  1863,  Colonel  Wyndham  surprised  Warrenton, 
Va.  He  took  part  in  General  Stahl's  reconnoissance, 
leading  the  advance  in  the  attack  upon  the  enemy  at 
Snicker's  Ferry,  and  during  the  raid  of  General  Stoneman 
through  Virginia  in  April  and  May,  1863,  he  commanded 
the  cavalry  which  took  possession  of  Columbia. 

The  regiment  was  on  almost  constant  duty  from  the  day 
Colonel  Wyndham  took  command,  scouting,  raiding  and 
fighting ;  while  its  impetuous  leader  was  time  and  again 
placed  at  the  head  of  a  brigade  when  services  of  an  extra 
ordinary  character  were  to  be  attempted.  He  was  severely 
wounded  in  the  battle  of  Brandy  Station,  June  9,  1863,  and 
was  mustered  out  of  the  service  on  July  5,  1864,  when 
he  opened  a  military  school  in  New  York  city  at  which  he 
was  doing  fairly  well.  Wyndham,  however,  was  an 
adventurer,  of  a  roving  disposition,  and  when  war  broke 
out  in  Europe — 1866-1867 — he  gave  up  his  school,  joined  the 
Italian  army  and  was  appointed  by  Garibaldi  a  member  of 
his  staff.  At  the  close  of  this  war  he  returned  to  New 
York  and  with  an  Italian  chemist,  engaged  in  petroleum 
refining.  An  explosion  of  one  of  the  large  stills  ruined 
them,  and  Wyndham  went  to  Calcutta  where  he  started 
the  well-known  comic  paper  u  The  Indian  Charivari." 
While  in  Calcutta  he  organized  an  Italian  opera  company, 
and  married  a  rich  widow.  It  would  be  natural  to  find 
him  now  settling  down  for  the  remainder  of  his  days,  but 
married  life  evidently  possessed  little  attraction  for  him, 
as  soon  after  that  event  he  went  into  .lumber  operations, 
and  in  speculation  in  timber  forests  at  Mandalay  lost  all 
he  had  made  in  Calcutta.  He  then  attempted  to  induce 


IN  THE  GETTYSBURG   CAMPAIGN.  495 


the  Burmese  Government  to  cultivate  cotton  on  a  large 
scale,  and  while  they  praised  his  schemes  and  promised 
generous  aid  in  putting  his  ideas  into  execution,  they  did 
not  provide  him  with  any  means  to  carry  them  out.  He 
then  became  a  hanger-on  of  the  court  at  Mandalay  and 
suffered  many  indignities  at  their  hands.  He  had  become 
reduced  to  great  poverty,  and  had  pawned  his  jewels  and 
decorations  to  get  money  enough  to  pay  his  debts.  While 
at  Mandalay  he  constructed  an  immense  balloon  and 
hoped  by  giving  exhibition  ascensions  to  be  able  to 
amass  sufficient  means  to  release  his  decorations,  but  his 
first  ascension  led  to  his  death  in  the  following  tragic 
manner,  as  described  in  the  Rangoon  (India)  "  Gazette  " 
of  January  27,  1879  : 

"  How  little  did  a  single  soul  among  that  vast  crowd  of 
people  assembled  on  Saturday  last  in  and  about  Dalhousie 
Park  to  witness  the  balloon  ascension,  which  had  been 
advertised  for  the  last  two  months  and  more,  imagine  that 
they  would  be  spectators — nay,  participators — of  a  tragedy 
which  resulted  in  the  death  of  one  of  the  most  adventurous 
men  of  the  day.  Throughout  the  whole  day  one  stream  of 
human  beings  had  flowed  toward  the  Royal  Lakes,  on  the 
margin  of  which  Colonel  Wyndham's  balloon  had  been 
inflated.  The  balloon  was  about  seventy  feet  in  height 
and  at  the  largest  part  ninety  or  one  hundred  feet  in 
circumference,  made  of  common  white  shirting  with  a 
coat  of  waterproof  varnish  and  a  somewhat  slight  network 
of  thin  ropes  over  it,  the  ends  of  which  were  tied  around 
the  edge  of  the  wickerwork  car  in  which  the  aeronaut  was 
to  take  his  seat.  Crowds  of  all  caste  and  degree,  from  the 
fashionable  European  lady  and  gentleman  to  the  veriest 
cooly  who  could  afford  a  few  annas  for  entrance  money, 
went  around  the  baloon,  examined  its  exterior,  peered  into 
its  interior  through  its  wide  mouth  and  criticised  it  or 


406  NEW  JERSEY  TROOPS 

expressed  their  wonder.  About  a  quarter  past  six  o'clock 
Colonel  Wyndham  got  into  his  car,  in  which  four  small 
bags  of  sand  and  some  refreshments  had  been  previously 
placed.  Colonel  Wyndham  having  given  the  signal  to 
those  who  held  it  down,  the  balloon  was  gently  released 
and  rose,  swaying  for  a  short  while  from  side  to  side  then 
straightening  itself  and  rising  majestically  upward.  When 
it  had  reached  an  altitude  of  about  three  hundred  feet  it 
was  seen  to  burst— open  out — and  then  to  collapse,  the 
whole  falling  into  the  lake  about  a  hundred  yards  from  the 
bank,  the  remnants  of  the  balloon  falling  over  the  car. 
which  contained  Colonel  Wyndham.  A  lot  of  boats  pulled 
as  fast  as  possible  to  the  spot,  but  owing  to  the  vast  spread 
of  cloth  presented  by  the  fragments  of  the  balloon,  it  was 
full  ten  minutes  before  Colonel  Wyndham's  body  could  be 
recovered.  It  was  immediately  conveyed  ashore,  where  it 
was  placed  in  the  hands  of  Doctors  Oswald  and  Johnstone, 
but  although  they  exerted  themselves  for  over  an  hour  all 
efforts  to  restore  animation  proved  unavailing.  It  is  the 
opinion  of  medical  men  from  the  appearance  presented  by 
the  body,  the  bleeding  from  the  nose  and  the  peculiar 
nature  of  the  accident,  that  before  reaching  the  water  he 
had  been  asphyxiated  by  the  rushing  out  of  the  hot  air  or 
gas  from  the  balloon.  As  to  the  causes  of  the  balloon's 
collapse  there  can  be  little  question.  It  was  made  two 
years  ago  of  flimsy  white  shirting,  not  improved  by  keeping, 
which  when  inflated  showed  several  cracks  or  rents  in  it. 
These  flaws,  when  pointed  out  to  him,  Colonel  Wyndham 
said  were  nothing  ;  he  had  gone  up  in  balloons  with  holes 
the  size  of  a  man's  head.  Thus  ended  a  singular  and 
adventurous  career." 


-•»      }y  C    2"  '  "'*•" 

14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

•  ^Tiis  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


22Mar>57KL 

RETURNED  TO 

—  ^TH.'STAT  LJBi 

MAY  1  7  1978 

Niftv    ^fi    1931 

iEB,cai    MwTeW. 

—  *  !i  L-"I  *  '  fi  —  i  r^ 

Kt.O  LJ   L.LJ 

MAY  31  1957. 

—  ^4¥i'  i3 

; 

REC'D  LD 

MfliOaJ95L 

2lApr58MF 

ZZ5i^ 

_tffiU^ 

General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


VC  51067 


M19G418 


.  5/ 
T(o 

THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


